


Reconciliation (A Little Nightmares Fanfiction)

by The_Lost_Author



Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Cannibalism, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Major Character Injury, Manipulation, Self-Harm, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:23:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 50,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lost_Author/pseuds/The_Lost_Author
Summary: “One time,” she whispered in a voice only she could hear, “One time, one chance to save him. After that there is no going back.”She looked down at the dead television set, moving to plug it into a wall outlet.“After that forget the boy in the paper bag.”She plugged it in and the Television blared to life.“After that forget the boy you left to die.”
Relationships: Mono & Six (Little Nightmares), Mono/Six (Little Nightmares), The Lady & The Thin Man (Little Nightmares), The Lady/The Thin Man (Little Nightmares)
Comments: 578
Kudos: 901





	1. So we meet again

The Lady stared into the empty Television set.

She had recently implemented a new rule that forbade Televisions. One of the reasons was for the sole fact that the Maw was meant to be an escape from the outside and bringing Televisions here just seemed idiotic if that was your goal. Another reason was because the signals had begun again and she had no intention of having one of her workers turned into faceless viewers.  
Another reason could’ve been that there were rumors of a man in the television sending out signals. It could’ve been that she had once visited the Pale city and looked at the TV and saw a thin man throughout the static. It could’ve been her confusion as she wondered how he could still be alive when she certainly saw him die. It could’ve been the moment where it finally clicked after the TV’s had begun to yell and scream calling her a ‘traitor’.  
Needless to say the last reason was personal. Though the guests had made a fuss at first she made her stance on the matter clear.

And if she had killed a few guests to get her point across was her business.

Roger had recently brought it up explaining that one of the guests had snuck it on board and that they could barely get it off before the signal began to transmit. Roger had made his visit brief as was tradition but the Lady couldn’t help but remember when he and the Bellman had helped her transition from a young child into a lady. Well, THE Lady.  
She missed those times and it brought her pain as those memories had also brought up older memories that she’d rather forget. Unfortunately one of The Lady’s virtues included photographic memory. That skill had taken her years. When she saw Roger bring in the Television set, the heart-wrenching guilt and sadness that seized her had almost made her rip Roger to shreds. She had kept those emotions under control.

Another virtue of The Lady, complete control over emotions.

She sighed and caressed the Television set. Fondly, remembering the times she had. The hand-holding, the costumes and hats he would wear to cheer her up, the time they played together in the field, the way he comforted her after he had saved her.

The look of betrayal on his face when she let him go.

Her chin felt wet. She flinched at the sensation. She hadn’t cried in years. Though, crying usually came after feeling sorrow or joy. She felt normal. Was she always sad? Was she always empty?  
She shook her head as she prepared to destroy the Television set. She hesitated. A thought came into her mind.

What if I could save him?

It wasn’t a new thought. She always thought about the possibilities. Even now she wished she could do something different or simply stop feeling regret. She wished she could go back to a mirror without seeing him stare at her with sunken eyes. She wishes she didn’t hear him yell and scream at her for leaving him.

Those problems were solved when she smashed every mirror near her.

She looked down sadly, there was no way to free Mono. There was never a way. The only way she could remember was when Mono had freed the original Thin man. Even then he had little access to the powers he didn’t even know he possessed.  
Her body went rigid as her eyes widened under her mask. She looked down at her hands, raising them so that her sleeves could slip off and reveal them, each finger tip pulsed black with her unnatural power.

Maybe...Maybe she could save him.

After all she did have powers, maybe there was the slim chance that it would work and she could release him. And even then maybe there was the slim chance that her hunch was right and Mono was indeed the new Thin Man.

“One time,” she whispered in a voice only she could hear, “One time, one chance to save him. After that there is no going back.”

She looked down at the dead television set, moving to plug it into a wall outlet.

“After that forget the boy in the paper bag.”

She plugged it in and the Television blared to life.

“After that forget the boy you left to die.”

Then, she waited for the static to stop and the signal to begin. It didn’t take too long. The signal blared in her ears, she winced as she felt blood trickle down. It had lost its appeal when she was young, she certainly didn’t see the appeal now.  
She inhaled sharply and summoned her powers, her energy. She raised her hands to the black and white screen, still cold. She felt herself be pulled.

Her eyes shot open and she was in a corridor. And at the end of the corridor was an eye. An eye that always watched. An eye that never blinked.

An eye that tortured others for it’s amusement.

She began to walk, pushing down any hope. There was still the chance that the door wouldn’t open and even then there was the chance that the man wasn’t Mono. The chance that the man wasn’t her boy in the paper bag.  
She gulped, her hand reaching for the handle. Her mind flashed to a time where she would have to jump to open a door. She giggled to herself and pulled the handle.

The door clicked.

She felt her breath hitch. This was it. This was her chance to reconcile. Her chance to save her best friend. She pushed the door.

The door did not budge.

Any and all hopes were dashed before the thought came to pull instead. She pulled on the door and lo and behold it opened with a creak. She blushed for her embarrassing blunder.  
She looked up and her eyes caught the cold, dead eyes of the Thin man. She made no move and neither did she. They stared into each other’s souls for what seemed like eternity. She had broken the gaze first, unable to stand staring into his broken eyes.  
Her eyes travelled his body. He was certainly thin. He lived up to his title. The suit hadn’t changed except for a little black tie. His face had stretched a bit. But that only made him seem a little more handsome. Her face burned red at the thought.

“D’you wanna know how I figured it out.”, he spoke in a raspy voice, tripping over his words.

How long had it been since he spoke to another human being. He still looked young though, mid-thirties like her. But perhaps that was her wishful thinking.  
She pondered the question. How had he known? She had grown out of her raincoat and she was sure that she wore her mask that day. Then again she had lost a lot of baby fat and her face was more angular then round now. She nodded.

The Thin Man leaned forward smiling not with fondness but insanity and burning hatred. The look made The Lady tense.

“I could tell in the look in your eyes. The way you glared at the teacher who had yet to become a monster, the way you nearly kicked a kid out of habit. The way you stared at the TV as if something would lunge at you. That was when I knew,”, he wagged his index finger at her, “That’s my girl, the one who could only count up to six. The one I nicknamed to tease her before she actually started to like the name.”

His eyes narrowed and his smile grew wider, “The one who loved a stupid music box more than her best friend.”

Her eyes bore holes into the Thin man’s skull. Even now The Lady wanted to smack the Thin man. That Music box was the last thing she had. It was her only memory of her past life. How dare he be so trivial about something so important to her!  
Then her eyes widened. He was right. She did love that box more than him. She-

“-abandoned me for a box that made sounds,” the Thin man read her thoughts, “Ain’t that something.”

Suddenly she felt a tug. She looked back and saw Roger, the chefs and the Bellman trying to pry her out of the television set. She looked back at the Thin man.  
The Thin Man only eyed her curiously, smile never waning. She had grown. She had certainly never lost her love for that stupid box. But, she had grown prettier. He could tell even with that mask on.

He didn’t like the mask.

He got up slowly and made his way to her. She was struggling to stay connected. He could tell by the way her form would grow fuzzy then solidify again. So, she had come to save him. He chuckled to himself. He finally walked his last step as he stared down at the Lady. She had grown but he was still taller.

“Still short huh?”, he snickered.  
“I could still kick your ass like last time.”, she remarked with a playful tone. Though her eyes widened at such a remark.  
Ah yes, he remembered that. He attempted to hug her when she had yet to know what a friend or a hug was. Naturally she thought he was trying to betray her and had flipped him over and began to kick him until he explained what a hug was.  
She thought he was trying to betray her

Oh, the cruel and bitter Irony

He gently caressed the Lady’s face, relishing the sensation of touching something, anything, even if it was her. He felt her lean into the contact and he felt her hands wrap around his left hand.  
He moved to take the mask off and she flinched.  
“I just want to see your face.” he purred.  
She hesitated but relaxed. He took the mask off and put it in her hands. She had certainly become more beautiful, he would give her that. He could feel a foreign feeling gnaw at his twisted heart and a rush of warmth in his cold cheeks. He wrapped his hands gently around her face. Her large almond shaped eyes stared into his round ones. One could get lost in that sea of amber, honey and gold. He became so infatuated that he almost forgot his harbored feeling for her.  
Almost.

“It’s so good to see your beautiful face again.”, he whispered.  
He felt her face flush. His fingers were warmed and he wanted to hold her face in his hands forever. But he could look at it for eternity after he did what he needed to do.

“It’ll be even better when I see your face after I grab your beautiful neck and squeeze your soul out.”, he continued, his smile spreading impossibly wide.

Her eyes widened and his hands moved at impossible speeds. The Lady felt his warm fingers wrap around her throat. She screamed and shut her eyes. Then they both left the television.  
They landed on the hard floor of the maw with a thump. She was back. But the tightness in her throat and the demand of oxygen had reminded her that something followed. The edges of her eyes began to blackout, then she heard the unmistakable thunk of a cleaver meeting flesh. Suddenly the fingers were gone. With terrifying force the Thin man was lifted off of her and thrown into a wall. The screech he let out was horrible, a mixture of static and agony as he attempted to lunge at her again.  
Roger threw the television at the Thin man. The screen collided with his head and shattered. He was knocked back into the wall and fell limp on the floor.  
Her eyes darted to the cleaver embedded in his thigh and she realized what happened.

“My lady, are you alright!” The bellman asked, worry written in his black eyes.

She nodded and began to crawl towards the Thin man. She was stopped by Roger.

“No, Lady. Better to stay away.”, Roger explained in a gruff voice that was rarely used.

She shook her head and forced Rogers' hand off. She made her way to the Thin man and carefully took off the Television off his head. He didn’t even seem injured. He looked peaceful sleeping. She gently placed her hand on his face. She felt him shift.  
The others tensed, one of the chefs whimpered. She held up a hand and looked at the Thin man. At Mono.  
His eyes opened and he stared into her eyes again. He leaned in close noses almost touching. He wanted to make sure she heard the message loud and clear. He promptly decided that they weren’t close enough and grabbed her kimono, putting his lips against her ear.

“You should’ve killed me yourself, at least then I wouldn’t have to look at you.”, he hissed in her ear.

The Thin man began to laugh quietly then he went limp, a ghost of a manic smile on his face and the Lady was left with nothing but tears in her eyes. There were two messages in that sentence. The obvious one and the one that you could only ever catch if you were the Lady. If you were Six.

‘I will never forgive you’


	2. Who wants to share first?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the class goes around and tells everyone a little bit about themselves (Stupid joke I know).

The Lady did not want to put on makeup today.  
She grumbled at the thought of it. She had always hated putting on that white past and blush.The gruelling task took nearly an hour and it didn’t even seem to matter because the mask covered her face most of the time. It became even more of a painstaking task to try and wash it off. The way she looked almost ghost-like with the makeup on. At first it had been difficult to discern her face from her mask.

She learned the difference quick enough. The mask had the empty dead eyes of a rotting corpse. Her eyes had looked vibrant and alive. Had.

Though lately she could tell that the bright color in her eyes had begun to return. She had no idea how or why though. Her hands wandered to her face, she dragged her fingertips over her face. Remembering how cold the Thin man’s hands were. She fidgeted at the thought and began curling her finger around her hair. Hair that she longed to chop off so she could have her old look again.

Where had these thoughts come from? She never remembered a time when she had thought of Mono in such a strange and unfamiliar way. Though, she could remember the happiness he had brought her when she felt sad. She remembered all the times they played together as children.

Then her thoughts shifted back to his fingers curling around her throat.  
She winced and instinctively rubbed her neck. There had been bruises but they had disappeared after two days. The Thin man wanted nothing to do with her and when they spoke it devolved into screaming and cursing matches from both parties. Just because Six had responsibilities doesn’t mean she’s going to sit there and let the Thin man call her names and curse her out. She didn’t believe in that “Turn the other cheek” nonsense. He spent his days wandering the Maw rubbing his hand on everything, relishing the smell of whatever scent was being given off even the unpleasant ones. He had even tried tasting the food at some point.

She had watched him gag on the food. He complained to the chefs saying that the food tasted rancid. The chefs were confused and one of them was more angry that he had insulted one of their culinary dishes. He had attempted to ask for the ingredients but the Lady slipped out of the shadows and he had left but not without hearing an insult and dishing one out himself.

She didn’t want him knowing one of the ingredients yet. Even if its usage had been sparse.

Her mind had snapped back to the present as she remembered her current dilemma. Today, she decided triumphantly she would not wear makeup. Today, she felt rebellious and so she would break tradition and not wear heavy makeup. Though, a little eye shadow or lipstick wasn’t entirely off the table.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was awkward.  
The Thin man had wanted to travel the Maw and remember what it felt like to be alive again. But he also wanted answers to a few questions. Maybe even a friend or two. A real friend

_But Six IS our friend-_  
**Shut up you stupid little brat.**

He had found himself arguing with himself often these days. Before his mind would either reminisce on old times or plot. Plan how perfectly he would execute his revenge. Lately, however, his mind seemed to be at war with itself. A part of his mind began to rebel and began to come up with the idea that Six had returned to save them. The other part of his mind hated her with a fury. In fact they were both screaming at each other when he had begun to strangle Six.

No, not Six, the Lady.

He glanced around the small room. There sat four of the Maw’s employees. The janitor, the wax bellman and the Twin chefs. The rage radiating off of the Janitor amused the Thin man, but he also proved to be a person that one should not toy with.  
He, afterall, had not only thrown him into a wall with such force that the Thin man had actually felt pain but also threw a television set that looked to be nearly his size.  
The Wax Bellman seemed to be more of the type who would talk or negotiate instead of fight. Though, he doubted it. The Twin chefs both seemed formidable but one of them seemed to be more of a pacifist and the other one put a cleaver in his thigh.

“So,”, he spoke in a low voice, “D’you have names or just the titles?”  
The Janitor grunted and pointed at his name tag. “Roger”, didn’t seem much for words. The Wax Bellman had stayed silent eyeing him warily. What, did he think he was a fae or something? The twin chefs both shrugged. The Thin man sighed.

“If ya don’t have names I’m gonna give you some unpleasant nicknames instead”

This immediately resulted in the wax Bellman blurting out the word, “Aloysius” and the twin chefs to shrug again. The Thin man eyed them curiously.  
“No names huh?”  
They both nodded.  
The Thin man pointed at the chef who put a cleaver in his thigh, “Grumpy and…”, he pointed at the other chef, “Dopey.”

Grumpy’s frown deepened but Dopey seemed to enjoy his name squealing like a little kid and clapping his hands together. The room shifted back into an awkward silence. The Thin Man’s eye twitched, he had been trapped in a room full of silence and static for decades and he wasn’t fond of the tension in the air either.

He leaned forward, “Aright, since this is going nowhere how about this,”, he waved his hands, “Quid pro quo.”  
Roger’s wrinkled half face raised slightly on one side. His version of an eyebrow lift, the thin man mused. Aloysius seemed to nod in acknowledgment. Grumpy simply simmered in his own anger while Dopey raised his hand.

“What’s that mean?”, he gurgled in a curious tone.  
“Why, it means that if he asks a question we answer or decline it and vice versa.”, Aloysius explained.

Dopey nodded slowly in understanding. He slowly raised his hand again.  
This time grumpy answered in a gruff low voice, “Vice versa means ‘and the other way around’.”

Dopey smiled and nodded in understanding, this time he got it. The Thin man smirked in amusement. He enjoyed watching Dopey if not for his company then for his lack of intelligence. This time Roger spoke first.

“Alright, I’ll bite. You asked us, our turn.” he spoke sharply. The thin man nodded.  
Roger continued, “What’s your name then?”

The Thin man’s ever present smile disappeared. His name? That question had puzzled the Thin man. He would say his name was Mono but that would be a lie wouldn’t it. He wasn’t Mono anymore. He didn’t like his title either though.

“I’m not sure myself.” he answered in a tired voice that he didn’t recognize.  
Roger nodded grimly and looked towards the chefs. He nodded his head towards the Thin man. “Got any names for him?”

Grumpy had responded with a name immediately. Though, it earned him a glare from Aloysius and a smack upside the head from Roger. Dopey however took his time thinking of a name.

“How’s about Chrome?”, he said with a smile.  
The thin man pondered the name. He didn’t hate the name. It reminded him of his old name but it strayed from his title. Not quite Mono, not quite Thin Man.

_I like it!_  
**It’s tolerable.**

“Chrome it is.”, the thin man answered with finality, “My turn. How is your boss?”  
“She’s fine, though we have you to thank for the bruises you gave her.” Aloysius snapped angrily.

Chrome chuckled “That’s not what I meant and you all know it.”  
The room grew silent briefly before Roger answered first.

“She’s great, the work isn’t horrible and she gives us comfortable living spaces.”  
Aloysius answered next, “The Lady is one of the finest I ever served and I would give my life to keep her happy.”  
“She’s alright I guess,” Grumpy replied scratching the back of his neck.  
“She’s like the mother I never knew!”, Dopey said with enthusiasm.

The Thin man...Chrome, frowned. He had expected these kinds of answers of course but he didn’t expect them to be so quick about it. He expected hesitated answers, nervous glances to check if there were unwanted ears listening in, at least some sort of giveaway that they were lying and yet. Their answers were genuine.  
“Really?” he said with genuine surprise, “Thought she’d be more of a bitch.”

Chrome dodged a cleaver and a shot glass aimed at where his head had been previously. Aloysius muttered something about inappropriate language. Dopey seemed to have no idea what ‘bitch’ actually meant and whispered it back to himself. Earning a smack upside the head from Grumpy who was now glowering at Chrome.

“What about you? How do you know her?” Dopey innocently asked while he rubbed the back of his head.  
Chrome smiled with resentment, “I trusted her with my life and she let me fall off the side of a fucking cliff.”

The silence that followed felt deafening, Chrome swore he could hear the creaking of the boat, bobbing. Dopey shrunk back. Roger began to wring his hands together while Aloysius stared at him with shock. Chrome grabbed a cigarette from a crate and began to light it.  
“My turn again.”, he muttered to himself as he put the cigarette up to his lips, “What’s in the food?”

This time the awkward silence mixed with a heavy amount of tension. The chefs had now become nervous, sweaty wrecks and Aloysius suddenly becoming poker-faced gave away that he knew exactly what had been put in the food. Roger meanwhile, answered his question.

“Stupid question really, meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, some foreign spices.” he tilted his head, “Boys help me out here would you?”

The chefs stayed silent. Chrome didn’t like that. Dread began to gnaw at him and he felt a pit begin to form in his stomach. Roger seemed to grow wary as well.  
“Boys?”  
The chefs both gulped and Grumpy simply crossed his arms defensively though the tapping of his feet only gave away his anxiety. Meanwhile Dopey made no visible attempt to hide his unease. Muttering to himself and picking at his own skin.

“It’s as Roger said, Chrome.” Aloysius said in a monotone voice, he waved his left hand around slowly, “Meats, fish, spices etcetera.”  
“Liar.”

The accusation made Roger whip his head towards him and made Aloysius freeze.  
“Roger?”, Chrome hissed in a low and dangerous voice, “What else is in the Maw?”

Roger opened his mouth to answer, confusion written on his face. Before the Lady walked into the backroom of the kitchen. Mono’s gaze shifted from curiosity and dread, back to hatred and anger. Though in his mind he was surprised.  
She was wearing her mask and normal attire but her hair was down. Not like it normally was when they unfortunately crossed paths in the Maw.

_She looks nice!_  
**MONSTER! BEAST!**

“Hello boys and homewrecker” she said nonchalantly Chrome let out a wry chuckle, “What are you talking about?”  
To both her and the Thin man’s surprise he answered, “We’re going around saying our names and telling the class a bit about ourselves.”, he said wryly.  
The Lady went rigid, Chromes grinned. She was no doubt thinking about what happened to her at the school. What those heartless clay dolls did to her. Chrome didn’t know exactly what they did but he was sure it was nothing pleasant as Six would wake up screaming every night ever since.

**Good, let her simmer in her pain like us.**  
~~_We shouldn’t have done that we should’ve been kinder_ ~~

He could feel her frown from behind the mask but she shifted her demeanor almost immediately, “That’s nice! Though, I’m not sure how the chefs would tell you their names as they have yet to stick to one.”  
“Oh, I gave them nicknames,”, he snickered, “Grumpy and Dopey.”, he ignored the glare that earned from her and continued, “Actually I came up with something to call you too!”, wait what?  
He saw her perk up, “Really?”  
“Yep.”, he didn’t say that.  
“What is it?”, she asked in an almost giddy tone.

The horrendous name he suggested had made the Janitor promptly throw a chair that landed squarely on his face and splintered. Chrome cursed as he felt blood trickle from his nose. He was completely deserving of that. What the hell came over him.

“Sorry, I don't know what the hell that was.”, he muttered with authentic regret. He looked up and saw the Lady looking down at her feet. He panicked immediately. When he insulted her she shot back but this time she stayed silent. He definitely screwed up.

_Comfort her!_  
**Hurt her more.**

He stood up quickly. Ignoring the burning glares of the men around him and the voices screaming in his head as he strided over to the Lady. He put his hand around her shoulder. Her head shifted a bit.

“I’m sorry.”, he said.  
“No you’re not.” she replied, her voice cracking slightly.

He sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around her small frame. He didn’t know why he said that. That crossed a line and he knew it. He rubbed her back in gentle circles. She relaxed into his embrace. Just like old times.

He felt her hands wrap around him as well. The warmth she radiated was numbing. He had felt lots of warm objects, some so warm that it seared his hands but she was the perfect amount of warmth.

They stayed like that for a while, he felt the gaze of the others on his back but he didn’t quite care if he was being honest. Though he couldn’t figure out why his cheeks burned when Dopey had commented quietly on how cute they looked together.

It was only when the Lady’s face shifted and a thunk was heard followed by a squeak that he started to consider letting go. Then the Lady began to struggle with trying to escape the hug. Chrome looked down and saw the porcelain mask that had fallen off her face and rolled to his side. He hugged her tighter and silently slid the mask under a chair.

Just because they had made up a bit didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun.  
She escaped the hug but covered her face quickly with the large sleeve of her kimono.

“Don’t look at me!” she screeched.  
“Why not?”, Chrome teased.  
“Because I said so!”, she said stomping one foot on the ground.  
Guess she didn’t grow out of that habit huh?

“Dammit where’s my mask.”, she muttered to herself as she kneeled down and began feeling around the floor. Chrome turned quietly and held a finger up to his lips. The chefs and Roger went forward to try to help but the Aloysius held them back. Chrome turned back around.

“What gives?” Roger hissed quietly.  
“Shh, don’t you see?”, the bellman started  
“No I don’t.”  
Aloysius rolled his eyes at the blind joke, “They’re both smiling.”  
“They always smile”  
Aloysius shook his head “Not like this.”

His words were true. Though you could barely see or hear it. The Lady was silently giggling and she wore a faint smile on her face. Chrome smiled but this one was filled with happiness. Actual happiness. They both no longer radiated an angry, resentful energy of two enemies but instead the energy of two best friends. Giddy with the excitement of finding a new game to play.

“Y’know it’d be easier to find that mask if you moved your sleeve,”, Chrome remarked  
“No!”  
“C’mon little Six lemme see your face.”

She lifted her kimono slightly but only so she could stick out her tongue. Chrome feigned a sound of disapproval.

“The indignation! Oh, I think I might pass out! Roger! Fetch me my fainting couch!”, he said in an exaggerated tone.

Roger cracked a smile and Dopey couldn’t stop giggling at it all. The Lady stood up quickly. Chrome cleared his throat and looked down at her face, still covered by the large sleeve.

“Okay, could you actually help me look for my mask?” she asked sincerely.  
“On one condition.”, he replied with a condescending tone.  
She groaned, “Fine. What is it?”  
“Let me see your face.”  
The Lady hesitated for a moment. Pondering whether she should give in or continue searching by herself. She huffed. She slowly lowered the sleeve. Choosing to focus her eyes on the Thin man’s collar.

Chrome stared at her. Her face wasn’t covered in white paste like it was when he first saw her. Her face was as pale as he remembered and her eyes seemed brighter than last time. He cradled her face in his hands again he couldn’t help but stare. Her face flushed and he could feel heat rush back into his face. His heart beat loudly in his ears. He felt like this once. When they were cuddling in an abandoned building waiting for the rain to stop in the pale city. It was their pitiful attempt to warm themselves without a fire.

His heart ached at the memory. But then his mind reminded him why he had forgotten what that feeling was in the first place. He let go of her face and picked up her mask from under the chair. He gave it to her with both hands and breathed out a silent apology and goodbye. He began to walk past her.

“Mono-”  
“My name’s Chrome now.”

She turned slightly and he could sense a sort of sorrow. He couldn't blame her, picking another name in this world is almost like killing your younger self. He continued carefully.

“You know if you ever wanted to change your name I always thought Lilith suited you.”

As he stalked off to the depths of the Maw. Aloysius walked toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked down and opened her mouth to apologize.  
“You know some traditions are meant to be broken.”, he said with a smile.  
She nodded and began to walk back to her room.

Lilith was a pretty name, she concluded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I was thinking of making this a few chapters long but I'm brimming with idea now. If you guys want to see anything in the story let me know I'd love to see your comments. Also if you want to see The Lady beat the Thin Man's ass at some point in the story let me know as well because I'm pondering whether to have a serious bloodbath or just a big argument.


	3. Little Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like someone had a nightmare.

Mono could tell he had made Six angry. The way her hood shifted after he released her from the tower had made that clear. Even now as they both fled from the collapsing tower and those awful walls of flesh and eyes, he could feel the hatred radiating from her. That’s fine, he thought to himself, he would make it up to her later. How exactly? Well, he didn’t quite know either. He had a hunch though. 

They left her music box back at the hunter's cabin. Maybe the one he destroyed wasn’t the real one. Considering the abilities of the Thin man though, the chances of that were slim.

The floors had started to crack and break apart, sometimes Mono opted to step on the walls of flesh than to fall to his death. Though, could you blame him? Even now as he ran behind Six he could see the faint glow of the static of a television.

They could make it! He felt himself run faster, even though his body begged him to stop. He wouldn’t, not only did his life depend on it but he had to make it up to Six. Six was nearly there and he had trailed behind slightly. Must be nice to be as nimble as her.  
Then dread began to fill him as the bridge in front of him collapsed. There was a large empty gap between him and Six. He could make it, he told himself. Never slowing down for a second he sprinted and jumped.

He wasn’t going to make it.

He felt fear form on his face as he barely grabbed the edge and opened his mouth to let out a scream. Then, his arm felt like it was almost wrenched out of his socket.

His eyes shot open, he knew this feeling well. It was the same feeling he felt each time he made a leap of faith. Six had caught him. Six had CAUGHT him! Even after all this, she caught him.

He looked down to see the empty abyss of a bottomless pit. He shivered when he thought about the feeling of breaking a bone, let alone your entire body. Though, the fear couldn’t wipe the goofy little grin on his face as he looked up at Six to congratulate her, as always, for her immense strength. Though he should’ve taken her hesitation to lift him as a warning, She’s just tired he thought.

His smile melted as he met her eyes. Her face made no sign of happiness. No sign of relief. He couldn’t find a single emotion that meant her rescue had any sort of goodwill. Her once vibrant brown eyes only showed resentment. The eyes he would always find himself staring into showed bitterness and hatred. 

He did not scream when she let him fall. Nor did he scream when felt crushed or tortured by the walls of flesh. The only time he ever screamed had been the time he thought he came to rescue him. The time where they embraced again after what felt like months. Only for her to slip through his fingers like dust once more.

The only time he ever screamed was when Mono finally died.

The Thin man woke up with a start. He clenched his chest as he heaved in breaths of fresh air. Well, as fresh as the Maw could get. He reminded himself that he had escaped, he finally had freedom. And yet he could not shake the feeling that there was still a chain around his neck.

He grumbled to himself, he pulled out a cigarette and a box of matches. Chrome had taken a liking to cigarettes. Perhaps it was the feeling it gave you as smoke filled your lungs and left it again. Or perhaps it was because Roger had called them “cancer sticks” and said that those things would kill him slowly. Chrome knew that quite well. 

Chrome rubbed his head, sighing softly. The flesh walls never let him sleep. Instead, they would try to strike up conversations and if Chrome never answered they became angry. No doubt the flesh walls kept him in the signal tower as a way to pass the time.

Now that he was out though, he had started to feel fatigued once again. He had tried sleeping a few days ago, he had forgotten what it was like to sleep. To dream. Suffice to say he never did enjoy nightmares and preferred that such a sensation would rot along with himself.

But luck was rarely on his side these days.

He had suffered vivid nightmares almost constantly. Reliving memories he’d rather forget. Remembering those who he lost long before he became the Thin man. But the most common nightmare he had started to experience was Six’s betrayal. A memory that had branded itself in his mind leaving behind a foreign feeling that Chrome had not felt in years.  
Sadness? Was that what they called it? Or perhaps it was anger. No, he had felt that constantly in his isolation. It couldn’t be hatred. That feeling remained constant in Chrome’s soul if he had one. Or perhaps it was regret, a feeling he had grown familiar with as of late. Perhaps it was simply betrayal.

Chrome grumbled to himself through his cigarette. Emotions, he deduced, were very finicky. Though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss feeling a variety of different emotions now and then. He looked down at his feet, his eyes growing heavy once more. Chrome had been avoiding sleeping these past few days. He hated having nightmares especially of _Six_ ~~**That Monster.**~~

Seems his mind is awake enough to start another war within itself. His eye twitched and he rubbed his temples in annoyance. Each time the two sides of him fought it’d leave him with a blaring headache. At times he favored one side over the other. Most of the time he’d just wish they’d both shut up.

Now that he thought about it the side that was still bitter about Six’s betrayal was losing his favor. Multiple times he had nearly wrung the necks of the servants of the maw for attempting to pry at his past with Six. He couldn’t help that they were curious but sometimes the questions got too personal. Once Aloysius asked him what his favorite dish was and nearly died. The sudden recollection of the memory flashed before him

_“Chrome?”, Aloysius asked a faint smile barely visible underneath his melting face.  
“Whad’ya want?” Chrome snapped. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation.  
“Well, the twin chefs wanted to know what your preferred dish was.”  
“Tell them to cook whatever doesn’t make me vomit.” He replied with a snarl._

_Aloysius didn’t seem to get the message, “Surely there’s something you enjoy!”, his eyes widened at an idea, “Perhaps you’d like something familiar! Chrome, what did your mother usually cook for you?”_

_Chrome’s eyes narrowed and his pupils constricted dramatically. Hi, vision filled with static as the bitter voice in his mind screamed bloody murder. He felt his vocal cords strain themselves but only static seemed to fill his ears as well as the constant chant in his head, repeating the same word over and over._

_**ABOMINATION** _

_He couldn’t see or feel, couldn’t hear or even breathe. Just like in the Signal tower. Only the mind-numbing static could be felt and heard. The static had consumed him. He became the static and the static was he. Then he heard a voice. A voice that sounded beautiful and yet painfully filled with fear and sorrow. The voice had broken through the static somehow. It knew his name. The voice knew his name._

_His real name._

_The static stopped as suddenly as it had begun. His vision filled with colors again, effectively blinding him, and his ears filled with pained gurgling and the same voice screaming at him to “put him down”. At first, Chrome had felt confused. Put what down? He hadn’t felt anything in his hands._

_Then as his vision cleared he gasped in horror. He saw his right hand raised before him, fingers curling in painful angles and beyond that, he saw Aloysius clawing at the melted wax near his neck gasping for air. He immediately attempted to grab his hand, but could not and opted for simply relaxing it quickly. Aloysius fell to the ground gasping for oxygen._

_Surrounding him were both chefs grabbing both of his arms in an attempt to free Aloysius, which explained why he couldn’t lift his other arm. The sharp pain in his shoulder and rib had most likely come from Grumpy’s cleaver in an attempt to try and wake him up from his trance.  
Looking down he realized that Roger had thrown several pieces of large furniture at him. Roger had also started to lift Aloysius to his feet. Chrome shook his head in disbelief. How had he been so entranced that he couldn’t even feel pain? If that voice never arrived…_

_The voice! He looked around quickly to see where it had come from. Behind him stood only The Lady, darkness swirling around her. The aura that came from her almost matched his own. He stared wide-eyed in shock. If she hadn’t been there._

_He felt himself shudder at the thought. He swiftly wriggled his way out of the Twin chefs deadly grip and tipped his hat. He muttered an apology and stalked off into the Maw. It was only when he had left their sight he realized that small slivers of his lips felt cut and his cheeks ached terribly. It was then Chrome realized with a terror in his heart that throughout the whole ordeal, he had never stopped smiling._

_Not for a second.  
_  
Chrome felt his body violently shake at the memory. The thought of being unable to control his actions petrified him to the core. On the bright side, they stopped prying but he couldn’t help but feel his heart rack his guilt when Aloysius had started being wary around him. Flinching when Chrome moved too quickly and nervously shifting when Chrome started doing small hand movements.

_That’s horrible, he’s our friend!_  
**Good, the puppets fear us**

He growled at the voice. He lifted his sleeve revealing multiple red crater-like burn marks on his old skin. The skin seemed tight around his arm, he could see blood pulse through his veins. He hummed a little tune to himself as he lifted the cigarette out of his mouth and placed the burning end against his skin. He smiled, relishing the silence and the sensation the burn brought to his arms and the sizzling of his skin.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!”

Chrome leaped out of his sight the cigarette, now effectively put out, fell to the floor. He looked to his right and saw The Lady standing there, fuming. He could tell she was incredibly furious, not only because of her posture but also because her eyebrows had furrowed, her eyes narrowed and her mouth peeled back in a scowl showing off some impressive canines. Those were certainly new.

Chrome stuttered, shocked at the sudden outburst and the fact that The Lady did not have her mask on. He tried thinking of a coherent excuse and his brain fired back with the only thing it could come up with.

“I’m not depressed, I just like the burning feeling.”  
“What?”  
_What?_  
**What?**

The Lady shook off her confusion and stomped over to Chrome. Chrome started backing away but she grabbed his arm and wrenched it forward. The sight before her melted her anger into concern. His grey arm was almost covered in large burn marks. The most recent one was such a vibrant red it almost seemed to glow.

The Lady clicked her tongue and shook her head. Chrome looked away guiltily. His original goal had been to try to silence his warring mind but he couldn’t help but feel sad at the way she looked at his wounds. He felt terrible. She wrapped her arms around him slowly. He tensed, not expecting a hug but made a move to begin hugging back.

Then Darkness began to surround them.

He gasped as they fell into an abyss together. He could see nothing. Not even the Lady thought he could feel her squeeze him in reassurance. It didn’t help in the least. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the darkness dissipated and they were in her room.

He immediately broke away from the embrace and started feeling his body, making sure he didn’t lose any bones or patches of skin. The Lady snorted and rolled her eyes. He glared at her.

“How bout you warn me next time before you do that.”, he grumbled.  
“How do you think I felt?” she hummed.

She dragged him over to her bed and pushed him unto it. She started searching for bandages in her room. She opened drawer after drawer pouring over the contents until she finally found what she was looking for as well as a bottle that Chrome couldn’t quite see.  
She walked over to him and looked over his arm.  
Without looking up she said, “Did you bring him?”

Chrome whipped his head around only to see nothing except purple wars and a small closet. His face contorted into confusion before he felt a cold, stinging sensation all over his arm. At first, it stung only a little, almost immediately the pain skyrocketed. He hissed and yanked his arm back but The Lady’s grip on his wrist tightened. He looked at his arm and saw it covered in a clear liquid.

“What the hell was that!”, he hissed.  
“Oh calm down you big baby,” she snapped, “It’s just antiseptic.”  
“It hurts like hell.”  
“Maybe next time you shouldn’t burn yourself.”

Chrome grumbled. He felt her start wrapping the bandages around his arm carefully. The silence that they resided in wasn’t uncomfortable, it wasn’t even awkward. It felt comforting, familiar in a way. It was the only kind of silence Chrome could tolerate. How interesting.

“Why are you awake anyway?”, Chrome asked, breaking the silence.  
The Lady winced and stayed quiet for a moment before mumbling the word, “Nightmares”  
Chrome nodded, “Guess we’re both still alike in some ways.”

They shifted back into the comfortable silence. The Lady finished wrapping his wounds and she patted the arm gently. She started to reach for the other one when Chrome recoiled.

“It was only on one arm Six-”  
“Lilith.”, she interrupted.

Chrome couldn’t help but crack a little smile. So, she had listened to his suggestion after all. She got up to put the bandages away and Chrome was left to sit on the bed and wait for a little while longer. His fingers curled around the soft blanket on the bed.

He hadn’t felt a bed covering since he was eleven. The last time he could remember was when he had left his bed to run away from his home. That was the last day he saw his family alive. The day the signals started.  
He clenched at the soft fabric of the bedding. He had caused the signals. Even though he hadn’t used them too much he couldn’t help but wonder. Were his parents still alive? Was his big sister still alive? Was he the reason they died?

He sighed heavily. The L- Lilith had returned to the bed and sat next to him. She also seemed deep in thought. He looked over at her. Her eyes were downcast and her shoulders slouched forward. Whatever she was thinking about didn’t seem too happy.

“I feel like I’ve overstayed my welcome,” he said quietly, “I should go-”

As he was getting up he felt the sleeve of his suit jacket being pulled back. He looked at Lilith, her eyes remained downcast. She refused to look up even as she got his attention.

“Please stay,” she said in a voice so quiet Chrome could’ve mistaken it for the wind.

He stared at her for a moment. Lilith had immediately regretted asking him for such a task. She had no right to ask him to stay with her, he couldn’t even stand to look at her.

She flushed in embarrassment and opened her mouth to apologize. Then she felt his hand curl around hers. She looked up at Chrome. He had a solemn look on his face and a small smile formed on his face.

“If you insist.”

He let go and removed his hat and his suit jacket. Lilith shifted lightly and lay on the bed, lifting the covers onto her body. Chrome joined her shortly. They lay there silently. Chrome felt his eyes grow heavy once more and he shifted so he was laying on his side facing the outside of the bed. He felt Lilith slowly wrap her arms around, stopping whenever he moved slightly.

He did not attempt to stop her as she buried her face in his shoulders and hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go. She felt tears begin to stream down her face. He felt her shake slightly, silent sobs racking through her body. He held one of the hands embracing him.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a sob.  
“I am too,” he replied.

They both slept peacefully that night. He did not dream of the girl who let him go and she did not dream of the boy she betrayed.

They only dreamt of the hands they held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, could they be rekindling their friendship already?! You'd think there'd be more to the story, huh?
> 
> Maybe there is :)


	4. It would be crueler to let him live.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thin Man's back :)

Chrome had taken a liking to the Maw. The Maw’s iceberg-like structure made it an excellent place to explore, filled with foreign, unknown objects and different sounds and smells. The Maw was the polar opposite of the signal tower. In the signal tower Chrome had no one and nothing, save the walls of flesh that would prod and taunt him.

He enjoyed the company of anything that lived or breathed in the maw. Except for the fat, bulbous guests that visited to feast on, frankly horrible culinary dishes. That was one thing chrome had yet to experience.

A decent meal that didn’t force his body to regurgitate it immediately.

He had yet to explore the lower levels of the Maw. Lilith had told him to ask her whenever he was ready to visit the lower levels but he decided to finish exploring all the nooks and crannies in the upper levels first. His mind wandered, refreshing the memories of the night before. He had never felt more well-rested even if he only slept a few hours. His hand still felt the warmth of her hand in his. He smiled fondly at the memory.

Lately, his mind felt more at peace, in the time that he had been awake he had not felt torn about any decisions nor did he argue with himself. There was only silence as his thoughts only ever surfaced to solve a problem or to simply contemplate all the things he felt physically and emotionally.

His forefingers drummed against an old book cover as he hummed to himself a familiar tune. The book in question was a book that Roger, upon discovering he knew how to read and write but barely knew “basic human knowledge” and basic math, had given to him in hopes that he would educate himself. The contents of the book had nearly made Chrome chuck it into Roger’s face at full force.

Most of the contents in the book had made Chrome feel disgusted and disgusted at the fact that for some reason it still intrigued him. It had certainly explained things he had wondered about for years and answered questions he had asked the Flesh walls. Now he understood why it had always immediately changed the subject. Some of it however had helped him decide to ultimately keep the book. For example, the book had explained that the foreign emotion he had been feeling was love. Though, he had yet to discover which type of love. As far as he had read there were four kinds of love.

The first kind of love was affectionate love. This type of love is a love that is felt for friends. Though Chrome had originally mistaken it for fondness he discovered that it is a love that runs deep with true friendships. It occurs when one shares the same values and respect as another. Though he already knew this love it had been comforting that someone put it into words. It made the simple conversations with the crew onboard feel more special.

The second kind that he had read about was familiar love. The kind of love one would feel for a parental figure, sibling, or close friend. He originally thought that he didn’t feel that love for anyone. Not anymore at least but as it turns out, people with familiar love feel at peace and safe with those that they loved in this way. He wondered if he had a familiar bond with Roger, he had always felt the safest with him and he felt as if he could tell the man anything but it was too early to tell.

The last two kinds of love that he had learned about were Romantic love and Enduring love. At first glance, he thought they were the same but it turns out that romantic love is a physical attraction where one only cares for a person for their appearances (A bit shallow and idiotic if you asked him, but apparently it was perfectly natural) and enduring love is arguably the most special kind of love. The kind of love that had been forged in flames and survived the explosions of a thousand stars, the kind that could only ever corrode from the inside. It was the kind of love that was almost impossible to crush.

And Chrome upon reading this could not help but wonder, which kind of love he felt for Lilith. He had ruled out familiar love immediately. Perhaps he had felt safe or comfortable around Lilith but that was before she had betrayed him. He felt a comfort around her, yes, but it wasn’t the same as when he was young. It felt like the same warm feeling but impossibly it felt warmer, in fact sometimes it made his hair stand on end, sometimes it would make him feel all fuzzy.

He had ruled out affectionate love after careful consideration as well. He had certainly felt respect for Lilith. Chrome was convinced that he should be the one on his knees begging for respect from her. The aura she radiated was intimidating, powerful, and yet when others usually flinched and backed away he always wanted to come closer. He was sure this wasn’t respect, it had to be infatuation.

That left the last two. He had pondered over it for hours, pacing back and forth throughout the Maw. It could certainly be romantic, he had always felt warmth rush to his cheeks whenever he touched her face or hands, an action the book described as “blushing”.

It could, however, also be enduring. Their relationship had certainly been an emotional rollercoaster (he learned that interesting term in the book), the betrayal putting a large chasm in between the two of them, figuratively and literally. But even through all that, they had somehow become friends again. They had somehow returned to each other, they had once again held hands not out of necessity but out of choice.

Then again, Chrome had yet to read about the other kinds of love that the book had listed and he preferred if the heat went away from his cheeks and wanted to stop listening to the constant pounding of his heart in his chest. He liked the feeling he felt every time he even thought about Lilith but for some reason, he felt embarrassed. He was certainly eager to learn more but first, he had wanted to take a break from the silence of reading and listen to the song the Maw sang.

Right now the song was more like a cacophony

He had wandered into the main dining area, where the guests got to stuff their faces with God knows what. The slurping and crunching sounds that came from the guests were disgusting. He had deduced that the sound of chewing would forever be ruined for him.

He had finally decided he had had enough and turned around to leave, he stopped abruptly. Something had caught his eyes. He whipped around to spot the glint of a reflective surface moving along the wooden floor. He heard the little pitter-patter of little human feet and the creak of the wooden floorboards.

A little girl in a faded red dress was running along the floor with a fork in her hands.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilith sighed as she glided silently through the hallways of the lower levels of the Maw. She hadn’t been down here in ages, the lower levels always brought with them memories that Lilith would rather forget.

Memories like running across the Maw in her little yellow raincoat while being chased by things she always presumed to be heartless monsters. The memories of the horrible things she had done while driven by hunger. What she had done to Roger… When Six murdered the previous Lady, she had, in turn, slaughtered all the guests in the Maw at the time, as well as anything inside the boat that had shortly arrived afterward. It was when she finally calmed down that she had finally begun to cry. Aloysius had been waiting patiently by the sidelines. He had comforted her for a long while humming the familiar tune of her music box and when he had gained the trust of Six he finally picked her up and carried her back to the Lady’s room where he explained everything.

It was then Six had learned that the previous Lady she had killed was an older and heartless version of herself. A cruel mistress that had ruled the Maw with an iron fist for years now. Aloysius explained that she was now the new Lady and had to be trained under him. When she had heard how cruel her previous self was she swore she would be better. She swore she would be a kind Lady one who would not condone the murder of children or the eating of them either. She would make the Maw into a true safe haven.

Aloysius simply gave her a plastic smile and said, “That’s what they all say.”

She had also been told to brace herself as the new Janitor was to arrive later that day. She didn’t understand the warning until she met him. The very same short, long-armed man she had reportedly killed. He was pleasant and kind and every single aspect of him felt human aside from his appearance. He commented on how much he loved children and how despite his blindness he would keep them safe.

Six had questioned Aloysius later about how kind one could be if he stuffed children in cages and served them as food. Aloysius simply said without any emotion in his eyes that she was the one he suggested the cages and Roger had never known that the children he sent to bury or discipline had been served as the next meal for the chefs to prepare

Lilith in the present did use children to feed the guest, yes, but she only ordered it to be the dead children, and due to Roger’s care that had been a rarity. Even so, she couldn’t help but feel guilty about it but as each day passed she would grow numb to it. That is until Chrome came along.

When Chrome had come onto the Maw he seemed happier than he had been in years. His eyes glimmered with hope as he told her that nothing like this had ever happened before in all the loops. His eyes only ever glimmered with hope like that once. It was the time he had told her about her powers. It was when she had been told that the nomes were in fact children turned by the Lady of the Maw. The revelation had driven Six mad with grief. Though, she had forgotten nearly a week of her life. She had awoken to the feeling of leather wrapped around her body. Her eyes felt puffy and her cheeks felt wet.

Aloysius explained that Six had tried to claw her stomach out.

He and Roger had to restrain her so that she wouldn’t kill herself. For six days she wailed in anguish as streams were constantly streaming down her face and the leather binding needed to be replaced multiple times because of her strength and constant thrashing. A doctor had to be rushed in from the Pale City because she had broken free and nearly succeeded in completing her goal. She had the scars to prove it.

Aloysius explained happily that in the hundred of loops he had lived through none of the versions of herself had responded in such a violent way. One could mistake his excitement for cruelty but Six couldn’t blame him. Her outburst meant that perhaps there was some hope. Perhaps Aloysius could finally be free of the chains that bind him to this place and his loop.

Lilith sometimes wondered if the Earth was Hell. Aloysius’ was to live the same thing over and over again, unable to change the outcome, Lilith was to slowly succumb to horror and madness and become like one of the monsters she feared.

Mono once told her that his hell would be one without being able to feel anything. He commented how he would rather be burned alive than feel nothing and be alone.

As it turns out she had caused him to live through his very own version of Hell.

She winced at the thought, her poor little Chrome had been subject to his form of torture for who knows how long and she had been the cause. She had saved him though, this time she had saved him and maybe even herself in the process. They were together once more. Maybe things would go back to the way they were. Maybe they would even be a little different but in a good way.

Her face flushed bright red as she remembered what had happened last night. She covered her face with the large sleeves of her kimono even though the mask was already covering it. She still couldn’t believe she had asked him to sleep with her that night. She could still feel his cold body pressed against her warm one.

She slipped her hands under her mask and let out a muffled scream of embarrassment. She had **SPOONED** him! What the hell was she thinking! Why would she do that?

Then again he never actually complained he seemed to like it a bit. Lilith lowered her hands and let out a shaky sigh, for some reason the thought of Chrome made her heart pound and caused her hands to get sweaty. Lilith shut her eyes tightly attempting to think of something else.

She was nearly run over by Roger who had been barreling down the hallway. Her eyes shot open and she leaped back, her sandals finally touching the ground.

“Hello m’lady,” Roger heaved.  
“Where’s the fire?”, she asked a bit unnerved at the amount of force Roger had nearly hit her with.

As Roger wheezed Lilith could only catch the words, “child, “ran” and “guests”. Lilith put the piece together quickly. Though, it went unnoticed her face changed from one of concern to pure determination. It was a look she hadn’t worn since she was a child.

“I’ll look in the dining area, you check the hallways.”

He nodded grimly and started waddling through the hallway again. Lilith shut her eyes and let the familiar feeling of darkness swallowing her whole consume her. She thought of the place she wanted to go, the gluttonous guests. Then her mind immediately thought of Chrome’s charming little smile. Her eyes widened. She couldn’t be thinking of that! Her thoughts controlled her teleportation; she needs to get to the dining room not wherever Chrome is!

To her shock, she had been transported exactly where she wanted to be. Though she didn’t expect the gruesome sight that lay before her nor did she expect the hauntingly mouthwatering smell of blood and raw meat. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrome turned his head slightly. Confusion began to fill his mind as he saw the girl running towards him in a frantic state of panic. Tears streamed down her face like torrential rain and her sobs echoed throughout the Maw. The guests had no doubt heard and some of them near the end of the room were leaving their seats and crawling toward her in a frenzied state.

The girl's face, Mono mused, was the perfect painting of fear. Though the girl had been terrified, no doubt of the monsters around them she ran straight ahead. Chrome wondered if she thought she could steam right past him. In most films and books one simple rule of survival was, “The bigger the monster, the slower and dumber it is''. This rule however was also common in the real world with a few exceptions.

Chrome was one of them.

Chrome hummed and kneeled quickly. The quick movement startled the girl and he noticed a falter in her steps. The girl seemed observant, she continued running, eyes shut as she seemed to accept that this was her final day on this planet. It seems she’d rather die by some other means than be eaten alive and torn apart.

A wise choice, really.

But as she dropped her fork and launched herself at Chrome, he caught her and gently wrapped his long fingers around her body. He stood up slowly with a gentle, comforting smile on his face. The girl didn’t stop crying. On the contrary, she seemed to cry even louder. He stroked her long, red hair with his index finger softly and shushed her softly.

“It’s alright,” he cooed, “I won’t hurt you.”

Though she seemed shocked that he spoke, her crying did not stop and she did not believe his words of comfort. He wouldn’t either if she was in his shoes but he remained silent waiting for her to calm down and see that he is no threat. It wasn’t until he heard the gurgling of a guest and a thud next to him that he frowned.

Slowly, he took off his hat and placed the girl in there, with a gentle hum he made his hat float in place. He would need both hands for what he was about to do. The guest had started to slobber on his shoes and pull on the pant leg of his trousers. He looked down at the guest and his eyes started to blacken and his smile that showed only teeth and gums started to blacken as well. His smile contorted into a malicious pointy grin and his eyes were void of any sign of remorse or life.

He let out a blood-curdling scream, it resembled the sound of glass being clawed at by a rusty nail and the incessant sound of static. The guest squealed in fear and the frenzy stopped so that all the guests could cover their ears, though they were unable to cover them properly due to the stubby arms. Then the Thin man lifted both his hands in the air and holding both of them he brought it down on the skull of the guest.

The first blow had cracked the guest’s head wide open but the Thin man couldn’t contain himself. Years of pent-up anger finally released as he brought down his fists on the guest, again and again, each time blood splattered on his suit and face. All that could be heard throughout the Maw was the maniacal, ear-bleeding laughter of the Thin man and the sound of brains and bone being crushed.

When the Thin man finished he stood up. The guests all stared at him with shock and fear written on their barely visible eyes. He composed himself, fixing his tie, straightening his suit, and wiping his hands against each other to remove the brain matter off his hands. His face remained neutral as his mind finally chimed in unison.

_Abomination_  
**Abomination**

He chuckled dryly, “Go back to eating the meals on the TABLE, you gluttonous beasts.”

The guests rushed back to their seats and turned away from Chrome but not a single one of them ate, not a sound was heard, not even the sobbing of the little girl. Chrome hummed as he grabbed his hat from the air and looked down at it. She had covered her mouth with both of her in shock. Her wide green eyes darted up at him. He gave her a small smile.

“Told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”

The girl says nothing but he sees her relax slightly. He turns to leave. He needs to find Lilith. He needs to ask the Lady of the Maw a few questions. Fortunately for him as he turns she’s standing right in front of him, her mask facing the bloodied, corpse of the Guest. His smile fades and is replaced with an angry frown. The pieces finally clicked in Chrome’s mind. Why he thought the food tasted rancid. Why the taste had been somehow familiar. Why there were children in the Maw.

“We need to talk.”


	5. A Storm is Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember kids! T̷̙̺̳̟̰͑̈́̎̀͊̔̋̄̌̀̈͘͠͠h̵̢̨̢̡̖̭̠̙̠̠̲̪͇̹̫͍̟̦̫̠̍̌̅͑̄͊ę̴̧̧̜̫͙̗̖͚̖̜̜̫̙̫͚̻͍̿̔̒̋͗̅̋̿̏̔͝ ̵̙͓̓͝e̴͎̙̮͓͚̔́̈́̉͑̽̅͑͊͛̈͋͋̒̚̚͜͝y̴̢̨̛̛͉͈̥̱͖̥̓̌̒̾̑͌̈́̑͊̉̚͘̚͝͝͝ͅḙ̵̡̧͇̩̻̰̝̆̇̐̄͗́͂͘͝͝ ̷̛̹̟̖̯̻̘͍͋̉̈́̊̾̓̅̄̾̓͘̕̕i̵͍͖͇̞̟̞̗͓̟͑̈́̒͐͂͂͋̓̈́͒̈̈̿̒͆̐̚̕͠͝s̵̛̛̱̫͚͖̩̘̹̠̮̻͐̾̊̏͐͗͆̈̅̇̿̏͝͝ ̴͍̭̬̫̳͈͈̳̙̏̐̓̆̋̂̚ą̸̛͍͔͙̭͉̖̊̎͐̾̔̋̈͑̌͑̈́̓͆̀̈̋͜ļ̸̧̡̛̤͎̪̺̺̜͚͍̳͒̊̉̑̈́͒͐̾̆͒̇̎͘͘͜͝ͅͅw̵̮̮͈̅ạ̴̮͓͚͕̳̩̟̣̳̥̘̱̮̫͙̣̦̙̋͛̄͊̈͛́̑̈́̇̊̈́̌͂̈́̅̾̚͜͝y̷̧̱̲͔̺̻̖̦̱̒̃̆̃͌s̵̛͕̞͓̐̎͗͑̈́̈̽͌̾͐̄̕ ̶̢̡͇̣̼͎̥͎̿̀̎̌w̸̢̭͇̼̹͈͇̝̣̫̥̣̬̺̝̘̼͈̃̓͊͗̂̋͝a̴̧̛̛͎̱̭͎̦̻̣̮̠͜ť̶̤̂͗̋̏̕͝c̶̨̧̛̱͚͎̳͖͚̘͕͚̔͆͛̆̎̔̒͛̍͑̓͆͗̈́̀̉̚ḧ̷̢̝̻͔͓̳̣̖͓̗̬́̈́̿͛̍̔͗͆̇͂̊̄̈̈͌̇̚͠ͅī̵̮̭̲̥̯̟͔̭̩̻͖͎͇̊̌̈́̓ͅn̷̨͈͙͓̳̘̹͓̝͕̠̾̃̏͐̔̓͆͂̕ġ̸̯͚̠̹̠̲̬̖̫̭ ̶̛̟̩͓̗̈́͛̎̒̏̓̅̌̎̔͌̈͐̈́̂̉̋̆̋̕͜ÿ̵͓͎̺̯̯̓͐͝o̸̡̧̧̬̬͓̻̼̘͙͉͂͌̈̒̉̔͂́̈́̅͂̚̚̕̚͜u̷̧̧̟͎̲̩͕̤͙͇̮͇͙̝̝̲͓̟̫͂͋̈̃́̎̿̿̒͌̅̊͌̍̕͜͠!̷̨̧̡̭̗͍͓͍̺̩͉̭̰͐̈́̀̎̌̓̎̇̆̄̕̚͘͝͠͠

Aloysius had lived to tell more than one tale. He had seen everything up to this point. He knew the end of every story, the beginning of every legacy, the truth behind every tall tale. He had experienced the same thing so many times, that a normal human being would be driven insane. Aloysius was not normal, he was more intelligent than the rest, he was more determined than the rest and he had the willpower that the North Wind could only wish it could erode

And yet none of that could help or prepare for how awkward this situation was.

In his lap sat a little, pale girl with vibrant red hair and a faded red dress. She was wrapped in a handkerchief and had a small cup of tea that Aloysius had decided to brew. She stared wide-eyed with wonder at the sight in front of her.

A pretty lady with black shiny hair and a beautiful, normal face glared at a handsome tall man whose face did not match his age. He was also glaring at the pretty lady.

The group had been sitting in that room for almost ten minutes. The tension in the air was so thick you could almost feel yourself choke on it. It hadn’t been quiet at first. In the beginning, the second the door closed the tall man yelled at the pretty lady. He yelled words that the girl could not understand in a language that sounded foreign and a language that sounded coarse like him. The pretty lady looked sad at first but she yelled back just as loud, sometimes switching to a language that sounded as pretty as she was.

Lilith had in fact been yelling insults in both English and fluid Japanese while Chrome fired back with some rather creative insults in Spanish. The girl of course didn’t know this, she could only recognize simple questions and phrases in English. The only words she knew how to say were “Yes”, “No” and her name, “Alice”.

Aloysius had learned that soon enough as he had asked the girl multiple questions and she would respond with one of those three answers despite the answers having no connection to the question he asked. The girl tried her best to use her body language to explain what she wanted but it took him a whole bout of two grown adults arguing like children to figure out that she had wanted tea and a warm blanket.

Just when things were starting to go well between the two of them.

“How long?”, Chrome asked after what felt like years.  
The Lady shrugged and Chrome’s left eye twitched.  
Oh boy.  
“Of course, you wouldn’t know. I was asking the old melted candle over here,” that felt unnecessary, “but of course you wouldn’t know. People like you don’t care when it comes to these things, not like us. We keep track of every minute, hour, day, year. We never miss a beat.”  
“Are you implying something, Chrome?”, the Lady asked her voice dangerously low.  
Chrome let out a wry snicker and he shrugged, “If the shoe fits then shove it up your own.”  
The Lady stood up, the edges of her eyes blackening, Chrome stood up just as quickly leaning in close to her face, “Go on then, princess” he snarled in a derogatory tone, “Give me a reason.”

A grin suddenly appeared on Alice’s face as she pointed at the two, “Kiss!”

Both the Lady and Chrome lurched backward and fell into their chairs immediately. Both of their faces flushed bright red as Alice clapped and giggle. Aloysius sighed and rubbed the melted bridge of his nose, ignoring the stickiness of his flesh. He had gotten used to it after so long.

“No, my dear. These two grown adults are arguing as if they were both small children with an extensive vocabulary.”, he replied in a monotone voice.

Lilith crossed her arms and shrunk into her chair while Chrome pouted angrily. Oh Lord, he was dealing with children. God give him strength, as well as infinite amounts of patience.

“Alright,” he announced with an annoyed sigh, “Let's try this again. We are going to handle this situation like adults.” He pointed at Chrome “Which means no inappropriate language,” He stared at the Lady, “No bodily harm,” he once again lifted his fingers to the bridge of his nose, “and no sarcastic remarks or wisecracks.”

They both grumbled in agreement. Here he was asking for the impossible. The way that this was ever going to end was badly. He might as well reduce it to as little bloodshed as possible. Though, the outcome of that was slim at best.

He lifted his arm and pointed it at Chrome, “Chrome, to answer your question, this has been happening for two months and in those two months the only children served were confirmed dead. It might be worthy to note that there was a meat shortage since most hunters were watching television and having their souls sucked out of them.”

Chrome looked away guiltily

“Considering you are the one with the questions there is no need for a Quid Pro Quo.”, he motioned at Chrome to continue.

“What’s on the lower levels of the Maw?”, he asked.  
The Lady saw no need to lie anymore, “Storage and rooms built for the children.”  
“How are the conditions?”, Chrome’s eyes bore holes into Lilith.  
She fidgeted, but she didn’t answer.  
“Answer the question,” he pleaded quietly but the calmness in his voice failed to hide his rising anger.  
He avoided his burning gaze opting to stare at her blackened nails, “I don’t know.”, she answered in a whisper.  
He leaned back, Lilith raise her head quickly, “Roger loves the kids he’ll make sure they live well-”  
“I’ll do you the pleasure of reminding you he can’t see jack”, Chrome snapped.

Lilith looked down guiltily. She hadn’t even thought about the living conditions of the children. Nor did she think about the food situation. Or the hygienics of the sublevels of the Maw. Had she been so focused on the guests that she had lost sight of her original goal?

Chrome took out a cigarette and lit it, “I noticed the Nomes helping out around the Maw, care to tell me the correlation?”

Lilith tensed, a reaction that Chrome did not miss. He blew out the smoke in the air and stared at her. He tapped his fingers patiently. Though, his patience had begun to wane thin. Still, Lilith remained silent.

“Answer the question, Lilith.”, he growled.

He was met with more silence. Lilith clenched the fabric of her kimono. He chuckled slightly, shaking his head from side to side. He fidgeted a little bit, lifting his right leg onto his left knee and vice versa. Finally, his patience ran out.

He slammed his fist on the table in front of them, effectively cracking it, “ANSWER THE QUESTION!”

The action caused little Alice and Aloysius to flinch. He was prepared to put the little girl in his seat and protect the Lady. Lilith however did not wince. It’s as if she barely registered the action.

Then in the quietest voice, she answered, “The Nomes are children past Lady’s have cursed.”  
“So past versions of yourselves opted to turn children into walking mushrooms instead of just leading them back where they belong?”, the question sounded more like a statement to Lilith.

She hadn’t been surprised that he had known about the loop, Aloysius explained that the ever-present eye acted like a warden for him and other members of the Maw only ever letting them leave when it decided to. Which was never.

Through conversation and many arguments, Lilith was able to put together that he had been trapped in the tower and was kept company by the Eye itself. Though he had constantly referred to it as “the walls of flesh”, which did make sense, Lilith remembered those disgusting things every day of her life.

Chrome chuckled at the silence but it was obvious he didn’t think anything about the situation was funny, “Wow,” he turned and stared into her eyes, “You really are pathetic.”

Lilith winced at the comment. That had hurt but she didn’t blame him for being angry. She felt angry at herself as well, why had she done that? It didn’t make sense to Lilith but that seemed to be a recurring theme these past few weeks.

“I’ve got one last question,”, he said with finality, “Why did that take you so long to say?”

Aloysius jumped in immediately, “That is a personal issue”, he said angrily, “You have about as much right to ask her about that than she does to ask you about what happened in the Signal Tower.”, Chrome’s scowl deepened but Aloysius was willing to take the fall for this, “In fact, I forbid you to ask any more questions on the matter, The Lady and I will do our best to rectify our mistakes and-”

“Because I ate one.”

The simple statement had come out in such a quiet and shaky whisper, that it took everyone in the room a second to register it. Aloysius had stared at her in shock. She had never told anyone that she had hated even the mentioning of Nomes as it had always caused her to remember the horrible things she did. She did not stare back, nor did she let out a cry of anguish like all the other times. Instead, she stared back at Chrome, her eyes laced with almost invisible tears and a tight-lipped frown.  
Chrome said nothing. The silence in the room caused the tension to nearly double. Aloysius swore you could almost choke on it. Chrome finally let out a loud, wheezing guffaw. He had doubled over in laughter. Shaking his finger at Lilith.

“Now that!”, he finally said with a large grin, “That was funny,” he raised his arms in surrender, “Hey, don’t worry about it you can tell me the actual reason later, Aloysius I shouldn’t have pried. This was a lovely conversation-”  
“It’s not a joke Chrome.”  
Chrome's smile disappeared, “You know that was my way of telling you to wait until I was good and ready to hear that.”

Lilith shrunk again, her eyes downcast. The room filled with tension once more, this Aloysius was sure that he would start choking on it, he didn’t seem to be the only one. Alice had mounted one of the pockets in his red formal coat. Chrome simply stared at Lilith, wringing his hands so hard Aloysius swore he could hear bones crack.

“You’re a monster.”  
Aloysius tenses. He turns to look at Lilith. She doesn’t seem to react but he knows better. Hell, he raised her. He could notice the way her eyes began to darken and lips twitched downward. He noticed the edges of her fingernails start to blacken and spread. Chrome doesn’t notice and he doesn’t want to stop either.

“I mean really,” he spat, “What kind of sick twisted human would ever eat or torture children. Especially if they experienced the same nightmares they did?”  
“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me,” Lilith responded, her calm voice laced with poison.  
“Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”, Chrome asked with a grin.  
“Hey, I wasn’t the one who killed my own family.”

Chrome visibly glitched. His body distorted in strange and painful ways. Aloysius stared aghast at Lilith. She wasn’t one to lose her composure so easily. She had been insulted by very few guests but none of them had elicited such an angry reaction out of her. He felt Alice shiver in his pocket. Aloysius knew it wasn’t because of the average cold. The cold that they both felt was an ancient one, one that hadn’t been felt since the fall of the North.

It was the kind of cold one felt before the battle between two titans.

“I’m not the grotesque beast in the room here,” the Thin man retorted, “The only difference between you and the guests is your looks.”  
“And yet I have the blood of three people on my hands while you would have had the blood of millions,” her response was calm and cold, “And for what? To relieve some boredom? Tell me, did you enjoy watching your family die because you wanted some amusement?”  
“ **At least my mother loved me.** ”, he responded, his voice resembling the ear-splitting sound of static.

Aloysius stood up quickly but he was too slow. HE heard an ear-splitting scream emit from the Lady as she threw the table at Chrome at full force. The table shattered and Chrome fell backward. He disappeared in a blink and reappeared crouched down. He let out a scream of his own as he launched himself at the Lady. She leaped at him as well, her now completely black fingers sharpened into needles.

Aloysius felt an energy surge with him. An energy that he hadn’t felt since the coming of the North Wind. He stomped his right foot down on the ground and a sound resembling thunder had been heard, the floorboards rose like a shockwave and the Lady and the Thin man were both launched across opposite ends of the room.

“That is ENOUGH!”, his voice boomed.  
The Thin man wheezed in pain, “Of course, the melted candle has powers, why wouldn’t the melted candle have powers?”  
Aloysius rolled his eyes, “That’s enough out of both of you! You are two grown adults, not children! You are expected to resolve your conflicts in a civil matter.”

Lilith stood up slowly, adjusting her kimono and glaring at Chrome. Chrome rose to his feet as well and fixed his tie. His hat had flown off in the commotion. 

As he retrieved it he spoke, “You’re completely right Aloysius we should solve our issues as the adults do on the Maw.”  
Aloysius nodded, thinking he had finally gotten through to Chrome at least.  
“I say we settle our differences in the Underbelly.”

Of course, he couldn’t be any more wrong.

He opened his mouth to protest but Lilith spoke first, “The Underbelly? I wasn’t sure a coward like you would like a fair fight.”  
“The only coward I see in this room is the person who seems to have had a romantic relationship with a music box.”  
“Tomorrow at dawn.”, Lilith snarled.  
“I don’t see why not.”, Chrome snapped back.  
“Then it’s settled.”  
“I suppose it is.”

Chrome tipped his hat at Aloysius and left the room. Lilith shut her eyes and was quickly swallowed whole by darkness. Aloysius stood there shocked and horrified.

“Oh, no,” said little Alice from his pocket.

Oh no indeed.  
There would be blood spilled tomorrow and there was nothing Aloysius could do to stop it.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The eye watched the argument. In all honesty, it had been feeling very bored ever since Mono left. Even though it could still very much see him on the Maw it could not speak to him and that took half the fun out of everything. After all, it’s not like the corpses here could talk anyway. The Eldritch being had been enjoying watching him interact with the Maw and Six. It was like watching a bad Romance movie. It felt the sick, mushy feeling and yet couldn’t stop watching. Despite missing a mouth it almost gagged when they slept together.

It wasn’t even the good kind of sleeping, **it was cuddly**.

They barely even slept! They took the fun out of sleeping! It was just glad they didn’t do the other kind of sleeping. It felt itself shudder at the thought. But now things were getting very interesting. It could sense the hatred emanating from each of them.

There would certainly be blood and the Eye was going to enjoy watching every drop get spilled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Oh, isn't bloodshed such a wonderful thing :)**


	6. True colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is all so...you

The Underbelly of The Maw was infamous to everyone, even those outside of the Maw. The Underbelly was a large bowl-shaped pit in the ground of a large stadium where many guests and others could go to settle their differences in a more physical way. Though most arguments would be solved, some could only ever be solved with a violent, bloody brawl.

Most of the time it was to the death.

There were no rules in the Underbelly, there was etiquette but almost no one bothered to follow them even though it was incredibly simple. If an opponent surrendered or yielded then the other opponent could end the battle or spill the last blood. Once again no one had really listened to this one guideline and assumed death was mandatory.

It was assumed among the Guests, Nomes, and even the children that to spare an opponent in the Underbelly was not an act of nobility or mercy but an act of cowardice. Even now above the crowds of guests that had sat down to watch the latest match, Aloysius watched as they chanted the only word they remembered how to say.

“Blood”

Aloysius had been given the job as an announcer of the match and the commentator, though he rarely ever did that job correctly. Aloysius did not enjoy watching these matches as it would always end up being less of a fight and more of a feast. Though, this time instead of apathy and boredom, Aloysius felt fear.

He sat in the announcer's booth, picking at his melting skin and constantly adjusting himself. Everyone in the Maw was here he could even notice some Nomes skittering about here and there. At some point, he thought he saw children run past the sewer where the blood would siphon into but he brushed it off as nerves.

Even the employees of the Maw were here. Not down with the Guest but in the booth with Aloysius. The twin chefs were here, Grumpy could be seen shifting nervously and wearing a grim expression on his face while Dopey was pacing the floor and visibly sweating. Roger was there as well, biting his nails, Roger’s presence here meant that Aloysius would have to commentate the entire match, much to his own dismay.

Even the Ferryman and the Granny were there. The ferryman had gotten a tank of water to bring her up, per her request. When Aloysius questioned them about the Granny emerged from the water to answer.

“I haven’t left the lower levels of the Maw in ages dear, besides”, she shifted her glance to the pit, “I’m worried about her.”

Aloysius couldn’t agree more. He was terrified at the notion of having two of the most powerful human beings he knew fight each other in a fight that might as well be to the death. How Chrome had even known about the Underbelly, Aloysius couldn’t hope to guess.

As the cheering of the crowd got louder and louder Aloysius let out a shaky sigh and cleared his throat. He prepared his “Announcer voice” as he adjusted his red dress coat and pressed the button on the microphone.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alice watched silently from the gaps between the bleachers where the guests sat. She had been returned to the Lower levels of the Maw in Roger’s care after Aloysius had made it clear that the blind janitor was no threat. She could not help her curiosity though and apparently neither could a small group of children. After all “Underbelly was a word any child in the maw, literate or not, could understand.

The children had a means of escape right behind them in case the Guests got bored and decided to leave, they weren’t suicidal or stupid. One of the oldest children had a small metal rod that was sharpened on both ends in case they needed to put up a fight long enough for the others to escape.

Normally the children wouldn’t risk such a feat but the Maw had been buzzing with excitement. Everyone had heard about the Thin Man by now, and in such a short amount of time, he had already challenged the Lady of the Maw to a brawl in the Underbelly. Curiosity was any child’s weakness and these children wanted to see the outcome of this no doubt bloody battle.

Then Aloysius, the announcer, began to speak.

“Guests of the Maw,” the crackling voice boomed, “Here we have what is without a doubt one of the most paramount battles that the Maw has ever hosted!”

The crowd roared with recognition, its incessant chanting growing louder. Some of the Guests had taken the time to buy or make banners with either the Lady’s or the Thin man’s signature item on them, a hat or a mask. It seemed most of them preferred the Lady.

The announcer paused and continued, “If you look at the first gate that is currently being cranked open, we have our fearsome leader, a woman who has a power like any other. The woman that has kept the Maw running for nearly three decades. Everyone put your hands together for the Lady of the Maw!”

The children clamored together, pushing against Alice to see the Lady herself. To the right, she walked out gracefully almost as if she wasn’t touching the ground. Her mask covered any emotion from the sight of the crowd but the anger she was radiating made Alice’s hair rise. She pointed at the pretty lady and made eye contact with the older child holding his makeshift spear. He smiled and nodded but his eyes glinted with worry. 

The crowd roared, most of the guests cheered but some booed. Alice covered her ears. The sound was deafening; she could barely hear the announcers' next words. Not that it mattered it was gibberish to her anyway.

“On the other side of the stadium, we have what could be the most intimidating and powerful man on the Earth. The broadcaster of the Pale City! Give it up for the Thin Man!”

Alice glanced to her left and the tall man left the opening in the wall. His large grin was visible even from a distance. The grin could not hide the hateful aura that surrounded him. Alice had heard what the tall man could do to a guest. She worried about what he would do to the pretty lady. They were supposed to be the best of best friends right? Why were they fighting? This was all so very confusing.

“Alright, people let's get one thing straight there is one guideline here and that is that killing your opponent is optional. I can not stress that enough. With that out of the way, fighter of the Underbelly, whenever you’re ready!”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilith shut her eyes and felt a familiar force surround her. She felt power pulse in her hands, her heart pounded loudly in her ears. The sound of her heartbeat soon turned to the sound of a drum. She felt her eyes constrict almost painfully but she made no movement that indicated otherwise. She stared straight at the Thin Man as a dark shadow surrounded her hands and seeped from under her kimono like a fog.

She was ready.

Chrome twitched and felt his bones snap and repair themselves. Electricity pulsed through his entire body. A surge of energy emitted from his heart and throughout his veins. He felt his senses dull and the sound of static numb his brain and fill his ears. He straightened himself up, revealing his staggering height as he felt parts of himself disappear and return. He curled his fingers adjusting to the familiar feeling of power. Only one side of his mind could be heard now.

**Monsters are meant to be slain**

And he agreed with that.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The crowd cheered as the two combatants faced each other, the energy emitted from each of them was overpowering, some of the more nervous Nomes retreated back into the shadows the rest stayed and watched curiously. The power had made Aloysius gulp but nonetheless, he lifted the microphone to his lips.

“Let the battle begin!”

The Lady and The Thin Man lurched forward. The distance between them covered in seconds, the Lady seemed to falter for a second, no doubt surprised at the Thin man’s speed. She had only ever seen him walk slowly and teleport when he was like this but to see him run was no doubt startling.

That slight blunder was all the Thin man needed.

In a blink, he had appeared right in front of her and raised his arms high in the air, and brought them down on her head. The Lady was just as quick, launching herself backward just as the Thin man’s arms rushed past her face. His fists punched the ground making multiple spiderweb cracks appear. The crowd went wild.

“That would’ve left a mark, it seems that those thin arms have some strength in them”, the announcer commented with a nervous voice.

The Thin man growled as the Lady disappeared in the shadows, the spotlights that focused on them began to flicker. The Thin man swept the arena carefully being sure to capture any movement that seemed abnormal. The Lady appeared behind him arm outstretched as black energy seemed to emanate from her open hand.

The Thin Man turned and made the same motion, electricity crackled and his hand radiated with a sickly blue glow. The action caused the air around them to pick up. The energy they emitted seemed to push them both back but the opponents held fast neither one giving in to the other.

A small ball began to form between them, it looked as if their own power were fighting each other, a dark swirl and electric charge fighting for dominance in the orb of energy. With each passing second, the orb glowed.

“OH my! It seems that one of them is gonna have to let go before that orb explodes and POSSIBLY KILLS THEM BOTH!” the announcer said in a painfully obvious warning.

Neither of the two listened to the warning as they leaned into the orb. The orb grew larger and larger, the dark swirl and electric blue charge were fighting but it seemed as though they both wanted to quit.

Suddenly the orb burst.

The shockwave cracked the ground in the arena and sent both of the gladiators flying into a wall. The explosion made a large sound that seemed like thunder and a bomb combined. The Guests were stunned but the cheers grew louder. The children seemed nervous, this battle was going to be horrible.

Aloysius could only stare in shock as he stammered into the microphone, “They’ve, They’re matched. Their powers cancel each other out!”, a part of him felt glad maybe this would cause a stalemate.

The Lady rose to her feet slowly, her hair had been freed from its restraints and now hung low covering her face. She stared down at the floor. A piece of her mask lay there, broken and she felt blood trickle down her nose. She raised her head revealing the half of her face that was revealed.

Her eyes were black and her red pupil burned with rage. She wore a scowl that displayed her bloodied teeth. She spat on the ground and began to hover towards the Thin man. She felt a familiar empty and nauseating feeling begin to fill her stomach.

The Thin man also rose to his feet, grabbing his fedora which had flown off in the explosion. His grin did not disappear and his coal eyes bore holes into the Lady. He stalked toward the Lady. His entire body twitched in a familiar manner.

“Our two opponents are back up again!”, Aloysius announced as dread began to seep into his soul. This was going to be violent.

The two approached each other slowly. Neither made a move to attack the other. The Thin man tipped his hat at the Lady. She snarled and lifted her arms sharply.

Pitch black spikes began to protrude from the ground erratically. The Thin man chuckled as the spikes grew bigger as they approached him. Just as the last and by far largest spike struck him, he vanished. The Lady had effectively let her rage blind her momentarily, just as the Thin man wanted.

She turned quickly but the Thin man was already there. His fists clenched together and he swung at the Lady’s face. He hit her hard, as a crack emitted from the stadium. The crowd screamed. The Lady slid across the ground the momentum of the blow carrying her a distance.

Aloysius winced. The Thin man smiled, he turned to the crowd and raised his hands in the air. The crowd responded to his silent command and cheered louder. He bowed and turned to look at the Lady.

She had disappeared.

The Thin man frantically began looking around the stadium but he had made the same mistake the Lady had made last time. He let his guard down. He realized this as he felt two, warm, legs wrap around his neck and tighten. He tried to gasp but found he was unable to. He grabbed the Lady’s clothed legs and fell to the ground. As he felt his trachea getting crushed he squirmed and kicked in an attempt to get out.

~~_You know this isn’t too bad_ ~~  
**NO NO SHUT UP! WE’RE KILLING THE WITCH CAPICHE!?**

All of his thoughts were replaced with screaming as he felt sharp fingers tear parts of his flesh into ribbons. He let out a physical, strangled scream of agony as he felt those very same hands claw at his eyes. The Thin man had felt many pains before but none could compare to the feeling of his eyes getting gouged out of their sockets.

The Lady tore out his eyes and raised them up in the air for all to see.

Alice and Aloysius shivered in unison, unaware of the presence of the other. Aloysius couldn’t narrate this anymore. Luckily, granny agreed to narrate what was happening to Roger. Roger looked sick to his stomach.

The Lady tightened the chokehold around the Thin Man. He grabbed her legs and attempted to pull them off, he almost succeeded but the Lady tightened her grip. She was trying very hard how much she enjoyed the feeling of the Thin Man’s fingers digging into her thigh.

She’d think about that later, right now it’s time to cause major injury.

She suddenly felt a lack of a body and she grabbed at where the Thin man’s head was supposed to be. She felt nothing but air. Her head snapped up to see the Thin Man looming over her. His eyes somehow regenerated.

He smiled down at her, malice written on his face. Her eyes widen as he raises his foot and brings it down on the wooden brace of her kimono. She lets out a strangled scream and a crack is heard throughout the Arena.

Alice winces, they were being so mean to each other.

The Lady rolls on her belly narrowly avoiding another possibly broken rib. At least temporarily. The Thin man kicks her in the rib and she lets out another gasp as she lands on her side. She melts into the ground avoiding yet another stomp. Her shadow is all that is left as it circles the Thin Man.

The Lady finally recognizes the slowly emptying pit in her stomach. She knows what's coming, she has to end this quickly. She had her fun.

The Thin man however wasn’t finished.

He let out a scream of rage and raised his leg. He felt electricity surge through his right leg and he brought it down on the ground. The ground cracked and a literal shockwave surged out from his foot. The Lady’s shadow morphed back into a human. She let out a scream of pain. She twitched and spasmed as electricity danced all over her body. She fell limp against the ground.

The Thin man smiled as he strolled over to the Lady’s limp body. He could see her shoulders shake as she heaved. He grabbed a fistful of her soft black hair and raised her up. He gestured to her.

“This is your leader?!” he yelled at the crowd.

The crowd screamed and cheered. Aloysius couldn’t bear the sight any longer. He grabbed a bucket and began to vomit into it. Between heaves, he told Roger and the chefs to go collect Lilith. The Thin man looked around the crowd and then he looked at the Lady.

Her mask had finally fallen off and her nose was practically a waterfall of blood. She seemed to be coughing it up to. Her breathing was sharp and her eyes brimmed with tears. The Thin man winced at the sight. He knew he hurt her but this seemed extreme. He gulped and let her go. She fell to the ground and could barely hold herself up. The Thin man glanced at her nervously and began to walk away.

The sight had reminded him of something he shouldn’t have remembered. A sight that only the previous Thin Man could remember. Six had that exact same expression of pain when the tower twisted her. He couldn’t keep doing this.

The crowd booed at him as he made his way towards the exit. The Lady could feel herself lose her grip on reality. A low rumble began to form in the pit of her stomach and her pupils constricted into a thin slit. The ends of her fingers began to form wicked sharp edges and despite fatigue and pain taking their toll on her body, she could think about one thing.

Just how hungry she was.

The Thin man turned to the Lady“You yielded we can settle this when your injuries heal-”, he stopped as he stared at the sight before him.

The Lady stood on all fours like a wild animal, her mouth opened wide in a menacing grin and her eyes were far from human. Chrome stared in awe and in horror at her. She stood up, hunched over as she limped towards him. Then Chrome made the mistake of moving back.

She charged forward at incredible speeds and lunged at him. He felt her claws dig into his shoulder and the momentum of her pounce push him to the ground, he could've pushed her off, he could feel her entire body tremble with weakness but he didn't. And as her teeth dug into the crook of his neck, as his vision grew fuzzy and he heard the sound of yelling, as he felt himself start to fade, as he felt a surge of energy rumble through him and into Lilith, as she fell limp against his body with no sign of breathing. As he circled his arms around her dead body, he only thought of one thing.

_I deserve this_

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The flesh was not entirely happy. No, it was far from it. It had just watched Mono whoop Six’s ass and then just walk away from it as if it were nothing. It had purposefully made him remember a memory that he shouldn’t even know about just to try to get Mono’s stupid ass to apologize and make up. Only to see him get his throat ripped out by Six and Six get shocked to death by Mono.

No the flesh or the eye or whatever it called itself these days was not happy.

The fight had not been as nearly as entertaining as it thought it would’ve been. It had even gotten to the point where the Flesh started wishing the two would just go back to cuddling. **CUDDLING OF ALL THINGS!**

This was certainly not good. The eye didn’t even know who it was anymore. It certainly knew that if those two kept it up they would both end up dead and the eye was not losing one of its only forms of entertainment and MAYBE it felt a bit protective of Mono. Or it could be possessiveness these days it couldn’t tell.

Either way, even if it hated it, the eye has no choice but to make sure those idiots don’t pull a Romeo and Juliet.

_“I hate putting on this human skin”_ it thought as it felt its entire being crammed into an ill-fitting human body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens next I wonder :)


	7. Ever watching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempting soooo tempting.

There was blood everywhere.

He couldn’t see it but he knew, the smell of metal filled his sensitive nose. There was so much. He could feel the red liquid pool at his feet. He could hear the twins drag the bodies, the dust on the ground turning into mud.

Roger was thankful for his blindness. He didn’t have to see what was in front of him, he didn’t have to see the bodies. Even so, he gagged, he had gotten used to the scent of blood but the knowledge that it could’ve been Lilith’s or Chrome’s made him sick. But he couldn’t control his curiosity, he felt around for the Lady’s head then felt for a pulse.

None.

He felt panic seize him but he restrained himself. He felt around for Chrome’s body now, he heard the chef's shuffling stop. He heard Dopey’s breathing shudder, he was crying. Grumpy was also crying but Roger couldn’t notice. Roger found Chrome’s body and felt the side of his neck for a pulse.

He felt a large gap where the neck was supposed to be.

Roger shook his head and collapsed to the floor. He felt something wet fall from underneath the folds of flesh that covered his empty sockets. He felt himself shudder and he felt a sob rack through his body.

“Th-they’ll be fine!”Dopey said with a shaky voice, “Aloysius w-will fix em right up!”

Roger covered his cold ears.

 _It cannot be a lie if no one hears_  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aloysius stumbled through the Maw like a drunkard. He refused to believe it, he wouldn’t let himself believe it. He tripped over multiple crates in the process but didn’t care about the pain he felt as he neared the Maw’s control room. He felt a hot pain around his neck and wrists like molten shackles.

He ignored the pain as he rammed into the door. It burst open and he fell, his legs now numb and useless. He growled and crawled to the counsel, her hands began to stick to the metal flooring of the room. He could feel hot tears pour out his eyes from the agony he felt of the invisible shackles. His throat tightened as he neared the captain’s chair.

He pulled himself onto the chair, and immediately doubled over in pain, he vomited for the second time that day. His body screamed at him to leave, but he ignored it and began to pull levers and buttons. The Maw could be heard screaming to life. He grabbed the steering wheel with such intensity he could feel the shackles loosen.

His eyes narrowed and he pulled a final lever. Suddenly he lurched back as the Maw began to move at incredible speeds. A new voice entered his mind, one he knew wasn’t his. It yelled and screamed at him to stop but he ignored the voice and the bleeding of his ears. He could feel his heart start to spike. He knew what would happen if he didn’t stop but he didn’t care.

He could see the mainland approaching fast, he could smell the smoke of hell, through every stitch and seam. He felt blood trickle from his wrists and his neck. The voice screamed louder than ever. 

Then suddenly it all stopped.

All the noise and pain ceased. It startled Aloysius, no it terrified him. So much so that he almost couldn’t hear the incessant beeping of multiple warning lights. He pulled back the steering wheel and the Maw screeched to a stop. Though, not all at once.

It creaked and groaned and shuddered as the widest parts of the maw, scraped against the docks, and hit small rocks. The Maw finally slowed to a halt just as it was about to hit the shore.

Aloysius let out a sigh of relief and looked out the window of the Control room. To Aloysius’ surprise, a large crowd had formed there, some holding confectionaries, balloons, and purses. Some of them looked a bit distorted but it was nothing too extreme. Children were holding the hands of adults staring wide-eyed at what was visible of the Maw.

The sight confused and surprised Aloysius, but he shook it off and left the Control room quickly. To say that he ran would be an understatement. Aloysius sprinted towards the boarding area of the Maw. They needed a doctor NOW.

And everyone knows the Pale City had the best doctors known to man and monster.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doctor Galen hummed a tune he had heard incessantly over the radio. He was working a double shift at the hospital that day but was not ill-tempered about it. He did after all ask for it. The Pale City had experienced some strange events. The Televisions had started to send out strange broadcasts, turning many into mindless drones and warping the physical features of others. It seemed the city was doomed until just as suddenly as it started it stopped.

Doctor Galen had been affected by the broadcasts but he was happy about it, the broadcasts had somehow converted his open-circulatory system to a closed system. It had also somehow made his skin into a sort of exoskeleton and his feet could now stick to most surfaces. How interesting!

The process was downright painful, but the pros outweigh the cons! He had found (through experimentation) that he could climb on the ceiling with ease, and without having blood rush to his head, he could fall from great heights and could simply brush it off and he rarely suffered from fatigue!

He was a good doctor before but now he could be better!

He checked his watch and clicked his tongue, he was a little late but he couldn’t help it. Mister Fowler had been introducing Miss Ramona to a child he had found in the woods.

“Nearly stepped in one of my there bear traps, poor thing.”, he had said with a sigh.

The child was small like most children but she was also very shy. No doubt a bit unnerved by the three of them. They had been affected the most physically, because of the broadcast. It wasn’t unusual that children were scared of them.

The doctor began to whistle as he entered the hospital, crawled up on the ceiling, and quickly scuttled to the nurse's station. He greeted the nurse on duty as he double-checked his pockets to make sure nothing had fallen out.

“Good morning Janice.”, he bellowed in a loud and cheerful voice.  
“Mornin’ Doctor Galen.”, the old woman droned in a monotone voice, “We got a couple of patients waiting as you can see.”

She pointed a withered finger at the waiting area filled with twitching people surrounded by their loved ones. No doubt they were in the early stages of “ScreenHead Insanity”, the ones in the later stages had to be put down because they kept charging at people or stuffing their heads in the Televisions and broke their necks.

The Doctor nodded and grabbed a clipboard from the desk. HE opened his mouth to call the first patient when the glass doors shot open with such a force the glass shattered.

There stood a bleeding man in a velvet Bellhop uniform. His flesh seemed to be melting but he didn’t seem worried about it. He seemed more worried about the two people on his back. 

One was a woman with thick black hair, who had blood spilling out of her nose and mouth. Her eyes were open but Doctor Galen saw no life in them. The burns along the edges of the sleeves of her Kimono suggested a fire but the lack of burn marks made it apparent that that was not the case.

The other was a tall, thin man. His eyes were shut and he was also bleeding out of his mouth. But that was not what made the Doctor nearly gag. What caught his eye was the large chunk of his neck that was missing. Doctor Galen noted how the man's shins were dragging along the floor.

The Bellhop had an angry and terrified look in his eyes. He breathed heavily and shuddered with every step.

“Forget any patients in this Goddamned hospital if you don’t make these two your top priority I’ll personally rip your arms and legs off and beat you to death with them.

The Doctor gulped and nodded too afraid to tell the melting man the grim reality of the situation, “Right this way sir,” he turned, “I NEED TWO STRETCHERS STAT!”

And here he was thinking today was going to be a good day.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The eye stumbled past crowds of people, flinching every time it made contact with a human being. It hated all of this. Humanity was a plague and it was going to be eliminated like one and yet here it was stumbling past huge groups of them.

It gripped its fluffy, long hair and let out a sigh. That was the only thing it liked about this body, the hair. Its body was nothing special, a bit on the tall side but nothing too abnormal, two discolored eyes one a deep brown the other a light blue. The only thing that really stood out about the body was the tattoos that covered almost every inch of its body.

It chuckled, those weren’t really tattoos but they would stay like that for the time being. It rubbed its temples and smiled for the fifteenth time that day. It liked having a mouth. A mouth was good for many things, smiling was one of them.

It hummed the tune of a familiar music box as it strolled over to a hospital. The flesh was in no rush, it had all the time in the world. And if he wanted to make the old wax boy pull his hair out in worry. 

Well, that was the Eye’s business.

“Indeed it is my business”, he said out loud to no one in particular, “and I’m glad you like my personality so much.”

As it strolled toward the hospital it heard the chimes of a music box. It turned its head to the left and spotted a small Ice Cream cart. It rubbed its chin,

“It’s been a while since I’ve eaten ice cream, but then again this is rather important.”, he nodded his head to the side, “But it’s ice cream. But there’s a limited window of time, then again it’s ice cream.”

He turned to look at an empty space, “I’d appreciate it if you left me to my thoughts, thank you.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Aloysius sat in a plastic grey chair, he was hunched over looking at his now bandaged hands. The Doctor had insisted they bandaged him up immediately, not that Aloysius particularly cared. He was more interested in making sure that Lilith and Chrome would make it out of this alive.

He heard lots of commotion in the rooms across from each other. One room carried Lilith and a team of nurses and doctors were trying desperately to restart her heart. In the other, a team of surgeons was trying to figure out how they could staunch the blood loss but also get blood back into Chrome’s brain.

He heard one of them say that Chrome was a lost cause but was silenced by multiple people shushing her. Aloysius rubbed his neck and closed his eyes. The chances were already slim enough, but now it was confirmed.

Aloysius sighed and put his head in his hands. He felt a tug on his trousers. He looked down and saw Alice looking up at him with wide, curious eyes. Aloysius jumped slightly.

“Alice! How did you get here?!”, he asked  
The girl tilted her head slightly, “Yes?”  
Aloysius rubbed his forehead, “I’ll have to teach you English soon won’t I?”  
Alice beamed up at him. Aloysius put his hand down so she could climb on it. He stared down at her with sad eyes. He guessed that she had seen the fight in the Underbelly and no doubt followed him off the ship, she did seem quick for a little child.

Aloysius pets her red hair, “Oh my dear, I think it’s over for them both.”

Alice did not understand what he said but she recognized the sadness in his voice. She stretched out her arms and curled her hands in a hugging motion. Aloysius brought her closer to him and she felt her attempt to hug his body. He could not cry not now. 

“Oh come on now don’t be so dramatic.”

Aloysius shot up and went rigid. He knew that voice, though it has been many cycles he would never forget that voice. He turned slowly to face down the hall. There it stood, the Eye in a human body. The Eyeshot him a toothy grin. It held what seemed to be an Ice Cream wrapper.

“Hiya, Al.”, it purred, its voice disgustingly calm.

Aloysius stood up and set Alice down in his chair. He walked towards the Eye as it stood there completely relaxed.

“So I take it you missed me-”, Aloysius slugged him across the face, the Eye fell on the ground holding its now bleeding nose.

“SONUVABITCH! WHAT THE HELL, AL!?”, Al approached him again, the Eye scrambled back and pointed at him, “NO BAD! YOU HIT ME AGAIN AND I WON’T BRING THEIR STUPID ASSES BACK TO LIFE!”  
Aloysius stopped, “You’re here to bring them back.”  
“Yes, yes.”  
“No tricks?”  
“None, nada, zilch, zero”

Aloysius moved aside and glared at him. The Eye raised its hands freely showing off its nosebleed. Once it got past Aloysius it speed-walked into Chrome’s room, not before passing a curious glance at Alice. Who sat in the chair patiently.

It entered the room and immediately surgeons began to try and rush it out. The eye rolled all of its eyes yet somehow no one noticed the moving tattoos.

“Move aside losers, I’ve got an idiot to bring back to life.”, the surgeons stared at it confused. It sighed in an exasperated tone, “I said,” the eye’s voice dropped low and its eyes began to leak an inky substance, “M̴͖̀ ̸͗ͅÓ̶̢ ̵͚̅V̴͍͝ ̵̱͗Ȅ̴̡ ̸̳̔A̶̰̒ ̸̬̈Ș̶͊ ̸͕̎Ỉ̷̜ ̷̹̆D̷̙̓ ̵̭̈́E̶͔̍.”

The surgeons lurched back and the eye snorted, “Amateurs.”

The eye approached Chrome’s corpse and knocked on his forehead. It stuck a finger in his windpipe, “Sheesh she really whooped your ass at the last minute.” It said nonchalantly. It brought its hands up in the air and opened its mouth, thunder began to rumble and his tattoos began to glow.

The surgeons stared in awe, what exactly was this thing? A god? A monster with incredible power?

The eye snorted and doubled over in laughter. It stood up and turned to face behind it, staring into empty space once again, “Really had you going there for an epic resurrection scene, huh?”

It looked back down at Chrome and cupped its hands around its mouth, it’s tattoos never ceased its glow, “OI, IDIOT WAKE YO ASS UP!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrome could feel himself walk among a white mist, searching for something. HE couldn’t seem to remember what though. He wasn’t worried about it, in fact, he felt at peace. He didn’t seem to have a single care in the world. He stood there in the mist and he saw a man. Though, that was just his guess.

The man wore a nice suit much like his own but white instead of blue. He wore no hat but had a head full of white, fluffy hair. The man had his legs up against a table and a book in his hand. 

He chuckled at the book and without looking up he said, “You’re early.”  
“I’m sorry”, Chrome blurted out for no particular reason.  
“That’s quite alright,” the man chuckled, “Seems the cycle’s finally broken?”  
Chrome nodded.  
“That’s good,” the man said, “Means that soon enough the world will be free.”  
Chrome gulped, the man felt comforting yet he couldn’t help be intimidated, “Free of what.”  
“Charlie should be bringing you back about now.”  
Chrome felt a tug at his chest, “Wait but free from what.”  
The man looked up a fire burning in his eyes, “You already know that.”

Chrome sat up from his hospital bed. He gasped and felt his neck. All he could feel were scars that resembled a bite mark. He turned to a smug-looking black-haired human, he noticed the eye tattoos all over its arm and neck, the white T-shirt that looked too big for it, was all that covered the tattoos on its chest. 

“Mono I let you out of the house for five goddamn minutes.”  
“Oh god, it’s you.”  
“Not exactly. Now I’d hurry up if I were you.”

Aloysius stormed in, he grabbed the Eye by his T-shirt and pulled him up to him.

“Heal her, NOW.”, he growled  
The Eye shrugged, “No can do, ya melted piece of wax.”  
“And why is that exactly?”  
The eye shrugged again, “I don’t feel like it.”, Aloysius pulled back his arm, “WAIT, wait. He can though.”, the Eye pointed at Chrome, “I made sure of that.”  
Chrome stood up quickly, “What do you mean ‘heal her’? She should be fine!”  
The Eye laughed, “Oh dear boy, you killed her.” Chrome’s heart seized with terror, “Stopped her heart I think. I’ll tell you once I’ll tell you again, you better hurry up. When a person dies there's a limited window of opportunity for beings like us to bring them back.”  
The Eye lifted his hands in surrender, “The windows about twenty minutes, you got about two and before you ask no I can’t do it. I already wasted my energy on you.”

The Eye seemed ready to talk for another hour but Chrome didn’t listen anymore, he ran past Aloysius and the Eye, past the doctors and nurses trying to bring Lilith back to life. He stood over her with his arms raised, his head buzzing with an energy that felt familiar yet new.

One chance to save the woman he cared about.

One chance to save the girl in the yellow raincoat who let him go

“One chance,” he whispered, his voice cracking as he put his hands on her chest and felt a white void fill his vision.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aloysius stared at Chrome with wonder, his eyes went white just like the Flesh’s tattoos did. He looked over at the Flesh, his prison warden.

“You have faith in him?”, he asked with genuine curiosity.  
The Eye chortled, “I have zero faith in him but I was being honest.”, it shrugged, “Plus I just thought it’d be romantic if she died in his arms. On the slim chance that he actually figures out what to do, I’ll be celebrating but I’ll be the one who takes him back to the signal tower when his heart shatters in two.” it frowned, “I really do hope they get back together, they were my only source of entertainment.”

Aloysius felt dread wash over him. He really wished he had an aluminum baseball bat right about now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decisions, decisions :)


	8. Signal Interference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to face your worst nightmares! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in case, anyone is interested I'll list my social platforms below in case you want to see some of my art for the story.  
> Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/VoidAngel4  
> Tumblr: https://blog-of-the-void-angel.tumblr.com/  
> Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spidernetics/

Chrome felt a familiar mist tickle his legs and fingers. He looked around frantically, searching the empty landscape for Lilith. His heart hammered through his chest, and he could feel his entire body ache. He couldn't see her anywhere.

He cupped his hands around his mouth, "Lilith!" he called into the mist.

He waited for an answer but heard nothing. 

Chrome felt himself shake. He HATED silence. It reminded him of what it was like in the Signal Tower, and now it reminded him of what his life was like without Six, without Lilith.

He called for her again, no response.

He gripped at the back of his neck, his breathing slowly becoming uneven. Chrome felt his mouth go dry. Lilith couldn't be gone, he thought. Chrome needed her. He always did. Even now, he could remember her smile and her laugh. He needed her to be alive. He didn't know what he would do without her with him.

"LILITH!" he screamed, his voice broke, and he felt his vocal cords strain.

No one heard his call.

Chrome felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt tears well up in his eyes, the warm sensation stinging them. His head began to hurt, and his vision spun. She couldn't be gone; Lilith had to be here. He just needed to keep looking. He had to keep looking. She was counting on him. He felt his hands slowly go numb, and he screamed her name again.

As if the volume of his voice mattered in the first place.

He ran his hands through his hair, his hat fell off, but he barely noticed. He felt sobs begin to rack through his body. He felt faint. The barren world spun around him. He had let Lilith slip through his finger again, and this time it was his fault.

Chrome collapsed to the ground; he couldn't feel his body anymore. He had lost Lilith again. He had killed her. He lost the person he cared about the most in his life, and it wasn't because she let him go. It wasn't because of some supernatural force.

It was because of him.

Chrome killed Lilith.

Mono killed Six.

He screamed into the empty void, but he couldn't hear anything. All he could hear was a wind whipping past him. He felt his throat sting and his stomach churn. He couldn't see anything anymore. He was right back where he had escaped from. And he was the one who put himself there.

Chrome lay there on his knees, crying and screaming for what seemed like an eternity. He felt his lips curse everyone and everything, but he couldn't hear it. He felt his lips move as he called for help, but No one was around to listen to his pleas. He prayed for someone to kill him, to put him out of his misery, to let him be with Lilith again.

No one came, No one heard.

Chrome lay there for what could've been an eternity, but he felt a gentle hand grab his shoulder. Chrome gasped and inhaled a breath of oxygen. It felt sweet to him, crisp. It felt as though it was his first time breathing.

"Now, what exactly are you doing back here?"

Chrome turned, trying his best to wipe the tears off his cheeks, but his eyes were red and puffy. There stood the man who he spoke to—the man in all white. The man gave him a gentle smile and helped Chrome to his feet.

"Where is she?", Chrome asked, his voice a quiet croak.  
The man's smile faltered. "Don't worry, she's here."  
Chrome felt a wave of relief wash over him. The man held up a hand, "But I'm not so sure she wants to see you."  
Chrome felt shocked, "Why?"  
The man shrugged, "You'll have to ask her."  
"Then lead me to her!"  
"Not yet.", the man shook his head, "She asked me not to let anyone see her."  
Chrome felt his heartbreak a little. He shook his head. No, he would hold on for her.  
"Well, I don't care. I'm here to save Lilith."  
"Are you sure she wants to be saved?" asked the man.

Chrome recoiled at the question. Chrome opened his mouth, ready to fire back with an answer but stopped. This situation was familiar. This was just like in the Pale City when he had defeated the Thin Man to save her. When he came upon her in the Signal Tower. Twisted, stretched, and mangled. Of course, she would want to be saved! No one wanted to be a monster! And yet, when she had done the same for him...He didn't want to be saved. He wanted to hurt. He wanted her to feel at least a fraction of the pain he felt.

What did she want then, and what does she want now?

"Who are you?", Chrome asked the man, "Are you, God?"  
The man laughed, "No, I am not God. God does not look like you and I. I am," the man thought about it for a moment, "I am no one. Noone who matters in the grand scheme of things. I am not all-powerful, and I am not mighty. I am simply a servant of the universe and its maker, and I am content with that."

The man's explanation made Chrome's head hurt, "Alright then, WHAT are you?"  
The man smiled, "I am Death."  
"You could've just said that.", Chrome grumbled. He looked at the man in the eyes. "Please let me see her."  
The man frowned and shook his head, "Not yet."  
"Then when.", Chrome growled.  
"Not until you tell me why."

Chrome froze again, and his eyebrows furrowed, "Why? WHY?! I'll tell you why! It's because I'm her friend! It's because she has people down there who care about her! It's because Aloysius-"  
"I have heard those reasons hundred upon thousands of times," the man snarled, "Tell me why YOU want her back, why YOU want to speak to her."

Chrome stopped; he looked down at the floor. Why HAD he gone to save Lilith? He had rushed to save her life even though he had every intention of ending it a few hours prior. So why had he gone to save her now? What had driven him to save her?

The realization hit Chrome like a truck. Chrome felt his throat get sticky, and he gulped. Why had he been such a fool? The answer had always been the same, now it's just evolved.

"Because," Chrome said, "I love her."  
The man stared at him. Chrome continued, "I love every part of her when she talks the world silences when she laughs I want to hear it again because it means she's happy. When she smiles, I want to cherish it. When she cries, I want to sit by her and wait for her to feel better. When she's angry, I try my best to calm her down, and when I hurt her, I hurt myself.", Chrome felt a few tears escape him, "There's still much I have to say to her. There's still much I have to give her. There are apologies that I have to voice and emotions I have to show, and there wasn't enough time. She's gone too early."

Death stared at him, stone-faced.  
"Please," Chrome begged, "Please just let me see her at least."

Death tilted his head to the right as if listening to something. He nodded slowly and grinned. Without saying anything, he walked over to Chrome and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Well, you've convinced him. Now go save Lilith," Death frowned, "Don't mess up."

Then suddenly, he disappeared, and Chrome was left in a dark room.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrome looked around, slowly taking in his surroundings. He was in a room filled wall to wall with pictures and mirrors and toys. The room almost resembled The Lady's bedroom, but it seemed distorted. Strange, almost alien. Then he saw her.

He saw Lilith sitting on the vanity, her hair was down, and her back was towards him. A cloud of black and white smoke swirled around her. Her shoulders shook, and he heard small sobs come from her direction. She had been crying. Chrome took a step toward her when a new sound finally registered.

He heard the haunting melody of a forgotten music box.

He looked at the center of the room, and there in all its glory sat a small metal music box. The blue paint peeling off the sides, and the crank making a slight squeaking sound as it spun around and around.

Chrome hesitated. The situation was the same as all those years ago. If Chrome just broke the music box, Lilith would be free. He shut his eyes in dismay and walked forward, knowing what he had to do to save Lilith.

A wooden floorboard creaked underneath him.

Lilith spun around, her eyes wide with fear. Chrome held both his hands up, "Lilith, it's me. I'm here to help you."

She screamed and grabbed her music box. She held it as close as she could and fell backward. She scooted towards the far end of the room until her back hit a wall. Chrome approached her slowly, but Lilith was crying and screaming, and she shook her head repeatedly.

"No, no, please, you can't, you can't, you can't have it," she begged quietly.  
"Lilith, please."  
"Leave me alone, leave me alone, you'll wake them up. Please just leave."  
Chrome stopped, "Wake who up?"

On cue, Chrome heard the voices of men, women, and even children all scream in unison. He covered his ears, but even through all the cacophony, he could hear Lilith beg.

"NO, PLEASE! PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The black and white smoke around her began to swirl fast and faster, the room began to disappear under the smoke, it began to take shape. It took the form of Aloysius. Chrome was pushed back by a sudden gust of wind that appeared from seemingly nowhere. He saw Lilith cover her ears as the shadow loomed over her.

"You said you wouldn't be like the rest of them," it boomed in a corrupt and cackling voice, "YOU'RE WORST! YOU LIAR!"

Chrome pushed against the wind, Lilith covered her ears and hummed the music box's tune to herself loudly. The smoke shifted again. This time it showed a boy with a chain around his ankle, Chrome didn't recognize him, but Lilith's sobs indicated that she did.

"You killed me," the boy said in a low growl, "You ate me. I tried to help you and how do you repay me? You EAT ME!"  
"I didn't know, I swear to God I didn't, please I'm sorry," he heard Lilith say.

Chrome couldn't bear the sound of Lilith's crying. He needed to get that music box. He needed to get rid of it. He needed to save her. He grimaced as he saw the smoke shift once again. The smoke split off, and a dark figure appeared in front of Chrome. It screamed at him and charged at him. Chrome stuck out his right arm and curled his hand into a fist. The monster screeched in pain as its body began to wither and twitch. The smoke dissipated and began to form again,

He noticed briefly that the smoke in front of Lilith resembles multiple hanging cages with hands stretching out from them. He heard them call for help, but their words were laced with malice. He heard Lilith scream in an attempt to drown out the sound but to no avail.

The smoke figure charged at him again. He made the same motion as before, expelling it also. He knew it would reform again. He needed to be quick. The smoke shifted into a little girl that he mistook for Six at first. But he noticed a braid peeking out from the hood.

"You don't deserve that coat.", the girl spat venomously.  
Lilith dropped the music box and curled up in a fetal position. She clenched her ears and cried louder. Chrome rushed through the girl, and the smoke dissipated and swirled around him.

"Oh sweetheart, no one could ever love a monster like you.", a mature and feminine voice said.

 _Her mother no doubt_ , Chrome thought angrily. He felt the smoke shift and pull him back. The smoke loomed over him. He lunged for the music box. Lilith outstretched her hand toward it but gave up as soon as she saw what the smoke turned into.

Chrome turned around to face a demon and met his own cold, dead eyes.

"You left me," the smoke growled. Chrome heard Lilith whimper.  
"You let me go. You killed me. Never in any cycle would I ever forgive you. You never cared not like I did.", the voice spat.  
"LIAR!", Chrome yelled feeling fear seize him again.  
"You are NOTHING but a PATHETIC WASTE OF SPACE," the Thin man bent down and went nose to nose with Chrome, "I mean REALLY, What kind of SICK TWISTED human would ever eat or torture children. Especially if they experienced the same nightmares, you did? Even your own MOTHER thought you were a monster. **YOU ARE A GROTESQUE _BEAST_** ”

Chrome felt his heartache at the familiar words. His heartfelt as if it were being ripped out of its chest. It didn't help when Lilith's screaming sob tore through the sound of static. Chrome shut his eyes, whispered an apology, and lifted the music box high over his head.

Wait...Static.

His eyes shot open as he looked up at the Thin man. It was then he realized that the black and white smoke was not smoke. It was static. The sound that filled the room was static. Chrome looked down at the music box.

"I am your nightmare," he whispered to himself, "The guilt you felt ever since you dropped me was your nightmare."

Chrome couldn't help but feel angry. How could Lilith be the one suffering? He was the one who was TORTURED. Why should he bear the grief of inflicting any sort of guilt on her?

_Because you let your own hatred control you_

He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

_And you have every right to be angry, to feel hurt. But there are ways to heal those wounds. What you have been doing only made the wound worse_

Chrome did not move as he stared at the Thin man in front of him. He turned around and approached Lilith. She was a sobbing mess, and yet the sight of her still made his heart jump. HE approached her and cranked the music box. The haunting melody made her look up slowly at Chrome.

He hummed along to the tune softly as he approached her, just like when they first met. He kneeled down and gave it to her slowly. She crawled toward him slowly, gently grabbing the precious music box with trembling hands. As she took it away from him, she looked him in the eyes.

"You came for me?"  
"And I always will.", he said gently as he caressed her tear-stained cheek.

She put the music box down gently and lunged at Chrome. He felt her arms wrap around his neck as she cried into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and sobbed as well. They could've stayed there forever, but Chrome heard a low growl behind him, and he felt Lilith flinch and shudder in fear. He left the hug but slowly put his forehead against hers. Chrome could feel her uneven breathing and hear her beating heart, a sound he would enjoy for years.

"You're safe now.", he said as he slowly stood up.  
“L̴͉̹̎̀ ̵̝̜͓̟̚Í̴̟̜̅ ̷͚̻͔̻͂̃͝Ą̵̞̩̦̑̿ ̴̠̀͋R̵͎̄̐͘͠”, the Thin man snarled.

Chrome faced the Thin man, his gentle smile and bright eyes replaced with a deep scowl and an enraged look in his eyes. He outstretched his arms. This was a battle he knew all too well. The Thin Man's beady empty blank eyes stared into Chrome's soul.

Mono versus the Thin Man  
Chrome versus the Thin Man

He outstretched his arms as the sound of drums filled his ears. The Thin man lunged at him, and Chrome released a burst of energy. The Thin Man struggled against it, collapsing and withering the closer he got. Chrome felt himself drain. He felt himself weaken and tire. A burst of electric blue energy appeared, and Chrome lurched back, so did the Thin Man. The Thin man came back up like rubber while Chrome caught his breath. 

This time the Thin Man did not hesitate. It lunged at Chrome while he restored his energy. Chrome shielded his face and awaited the final blow. But he felt nothing but a sharp wind rush past him. Chrome felt his eyes shoot open, and he stared in awe at the sight before him. Lilith stood in front of him, her right arm outstretched and her left arm slack. Shadow poured out from her hand as her Kimono whipped behind her from the wind.

The Thin man shriveled again and screeched. Another black burst, but this time only the Thin Man lurched back. Chrome approached the Thin man and stood next to Lilith. He felt her warm hand wrap around his cold one. He met her amber eyes, and she smiled at him.  
"Together?" she asked.  
"Together," he responded, "Us against the world. Just like it was meant to be."

The Thin man stood up to his full height and screeched. A far-off choir was heard. The Thin Man lunged at them both, arms outstretched and eyes wild with blood lust. Lilith and Chrome extended their arms, bracing against the ground. Power burst out of their outstretched hands.

This time their powers did not fight against each other but worked together as they should've been. The eclectic blue energy combined with Lilith's dark power, and they coiled around each other and charged at the Thin Man's chest. It screamed as it writhed and stepped towards them.

They felt themselves push against the Thin Man. Chrome and Lilith poured every ounce of energy they had into the shaft of light and darkness. The Thin Man recoiled and screeched. It collapsed on itself as the beam burst. Chrome and Lilith fell to the ground leaning against each other as if for dear life.

The Thin Man fought to keep itself together. It struggled against its own collapsing body. It screamed and yelled, but finally, it folded like origami and exploded into static.

Then Chrome's hand felt empty, and the darkness filled his vision.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrome awoke in the hospital room. Chrome fell backward but was caught by two people. He looked behind him and saw the Eye and Aloysius with concerned looks on their faces.

"Oh good, you're not dead! Now, how badly did you fuck up?" The Eye asked with a smug yet concerned expression.  
"I did it!", Chrome exclaimed.

The Eye looked shocked, but Aloysius broke into a wide grin. When Chrome got up, he started doing a little dance.

"You save her! Oh, you magnificent piece of artwork, I could kiss you", Aloysius exclaimed.  
"Do it, I dare you." the Eye smirked.  
"Don't make me hit you again."

The Eye covered its nose. But nonetheless, it looked happy as well, "So you did it! Didn't think you could, way to beat the odds."

Chrome ignored them both and looked over at Lilith.

He looked at Lilith's cold, pale body.

He frowned and approached her again. He held her hand and paled when he felt it was not warm but cold. Chrome began to feel panic fill his mind. He leaned down slowly and put his ear against her chest.

He heard no heartbeat.

Chrome didn't move. Chrome heard Aloysius, and the Eye cease their banter and stare at him.

"What exactly are you doing," the Eye asked, attempting to cover up Its worry with sarcasm.  
"I can't hear anything." Chrome said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

The atmosphere felt heavy. Aloysius ran his hands through his melted wax head. He let out a shaky breath; He looked ready to collapse. The Eye looked angry, but if you looked close enough, you could see the panic in his eyes.

"This doesn't make sense. She should be breathing", it said, confused.  
"What could it be? Could it have been a trick?"  
"Death's a lot of things, but he's not a liar. Shit, he must've messed up somehow."  
"What do you mean he messed up!"  
"I don't know, Aloysius! I'm grasping at straws here!"

They were both silenced by a sob that came from Chrome. Chrome reached for Lilith's hands. He couldn't save her, was his only thought as he wept. He was so close, and yet he messed it up again. Chrome sobs tore through the quiet hospital room.

"I'm so sorry."

He felt a cold hand reach under his hat and pet his hair. He was going to kill the Eye. Then he felt the cold hand he was grabbing squeeze back. His eyes shot open.

"Who are you apologizing to box face?" a sweet yet weak voice asked.

Chrome heard a heart begin to beat again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had you going there for a minute, huh?


	9. The Best Medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say laughter is the best medicine but we can all think of one that is slightly better

Chrome sat in the ward staring at Lilith's sleeping body. Lilith was alive and well, her heart was still beating, but she had several serious injuries. Chrome had some as well but not as severe as hers. Several of her ribs were broken, and she had been internally bleeding. 

After Lilith woke up, she passed out almost immediately, and she was rushed to surgery. The doctors seemed frantic, and Chrome had almost attacked them. He didn't want to leave Lilith alone, not again. He had to be held down by Aloysius so he wouldn't end up killing Lilith instead of helping her.

He frowned and buried his head in his hands. In the end, he had been the one who hurt her. He suggested the battle in the Underbelly. He was at fault for what happened. But she's alive, which means he can make it up to her. He could talk to her. They could finally be friends again.

_Maybe something more?_

Chrome flushed at the thought. Chrome shook the thought out of his head, but the feeling lingered. He had admitted to death itself that he loved her, but here he was, trying to deny it. Why? Lilith was pretty. No, she was beautiful. She was kind and loving. Lilith had shown Chrome nothing but affection during his stay at the Maw. If she had ever been insulting, it was because he started it. Why was it so difficult to just accept it?

**Maybe because of the atrocities she commited**

"And what makes us different?" he growled to himself, "I've done worse. These people suffered because of me."

"That's a surprise."

Chrome flinched. That was a voice he didn't want to hear ever again. He tensed and gulped. He felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"You've finally admitted that the signals were your fault," the sickeningly smug voice said, "In the past loops, you would either blame old Sixer over here or me!"

Chrome said nothing. He pretended to be fascinated by the hospital curtains. Why was he afraid? He was always fearful around it, but why? It was his only friend in the Tower. It had helped him.

No, it had hurt him. It made him numb to everything. It separated him from Lilith. It made him lose his mind over and over again. It trapped him in this loop for who knows how long.

Though Chrome did not see, he could feel the Eye's smile grow impossibly wide, "Why so scared, kiddo? I'm just here, to tell the truth. I clothed you, fed you, hell I even entertained you. I never told you a single lie in the Tower, and I'm not telling a single lie outside of it."  
"All you told me was lies.", Chrome muttered meekly.  
The hand around his shoulder tensed and tightened its grip. Chrome turned slowly to face it. The Eye had a deep frown on its face.  
"Could you repeat that for me." the Eye said in a monotonous tone.

Chrome felt a wave of anger boil up inside him. He stood up and faced the Eye, his tormenter, his fellow prisoner. He towered over the Eye by nearly three feet, his shadow engulfing it completely. Yet, the Eye seemed unfazed by the height difference and looked up at Chrome expectantly.

"All you told me were lies," Chrome repeated angrily, "You manipulated me into believing you were the only one who cared for me. You said I was the one to blame for everything that happened. You made me numb to everything." He lurched down at the Eye, but it did not flinch, "You made me forget what it was like to feel. You hurt me whenever I thought about my life before the Signal Tower. You let me and several versions of me ROT in that Tower."

The Eye stared as if expecting something else. Chrome said nothing, and the Eye raised its eyebrows, "That's it?"  
Chrome stared at the Eye confounded.  
The Eye clapped its hands together, "Well, then Chrome, I got just one thing to say to you. You are a shit liar."  
Chrome recoiled, and the Eye continued, "One, I never lied to you. Everything I said was genuine. "   
It pointed at Chrome, "When I said I was your only friend, I did not lie. Every friend you made was either dead or," it gestured to Lilith, "You know."  
Chrome flinched and backed away slowly. The Eye stepped towards him, "Secondly, Everything I dad was for your sake, I did not cause those signals,  
It gestured at itself, "I suggested them, and you decided to listen. There were times where I didn't even say anything and you would do it anyway. I warped your mind and made you into a sort psychopath because you didn't want to feel pain-"  
"You did what?"  
The Eye looked at Chrome. Chrome looked horrified. The Eye groaned, "Oh great, now I'm the bad guy.", it lifted its hands up in surrender, "I did it, one because you asked me too and two because it was for your own good."  
It shook its head, "You should've seen yourself. My company somehow wasn't enough if I hadn't numbed, you probably would've found a way to-," the Eye stopped, Chrome noticed its eyes flash with a look of sadness, "end it."

Chrome was now stone-faced. The Eye sighed, "Listen if it means anything-"  
"I think you should leave."  
The Eye stared at him. Chrome looked down at his feet, tensing up, preparing himself for something horrible to happen. But as Chrome felt footsteps recede, he relaxed and allowed himself to breathe again.

He sat back down in his chair and stared once again at Lilith. She was still asleep, but the Doctor said she should wake up soon. Chrome grabbed his hat and set it on his lap. It had been a while since he enjoyed the silence. It seemed that the only time he could ever seem to be comfortable when the room was quiet was when he was with Lilith.

He leaned back in his chair, trying his best to block out what the Eye had said to him. It made sense, really. It explained why he could hurt people without remorse when broadcasting the signals. It explained how he was somehow unfazed of being covered in the blood of a guest for nearly an hour. It had explained why he hurt Lilith so comfortably without an ounce of remorse.

Until he looked at her face and saw how she was hurting him.

He frowned at the thought, but it led to another. How had he remembered what he had done to Lilith in the Tower? He had yet to do it, and he only remembered what the past Thin Man's did because the Eye showed him. It never showed him his mistakes. So, how did he remember?

He heard a soft rustling come from Lilith's hospital bed. Chrome looked up at Lilith. She was no longer sleeping but didn't move. She only shifted her head to look at him.

"Chrome?" she asked groggily.  
Chrome moved up from his chair and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.  
"Hey," he said, a gentle smile forming on his face.  
Lilith smiled back at him. She shifted, trying to get up on her elbow, but Chrome put a gentle hand on her chest to keep her down. It wasn't forceful, but he could see her wince noticeably. He immediately recoiled.  
"Sorry," he whispered frantically, "You shouldn't get up. You might hurt yourself."

Lilith shrugged him off and continued to try to sit up, it took a bit, but she finally sat up completely. Chrome felt a twinge of guilt in himself. Lilith looked up at him and smiled again. He felt her hand wrap around his. Chrome squeezed her hand in comfort.

"You saved me.", Lilith said in a quiet voice.  
Chrome frowned, "I was the reason you needed to be saved."  
Lilith squeezed his hand, "It was my fault, you know."  
"Maybe, but I started it."  
"Chrome," she hissed at him, "Don't give me that Bullcrap. We wouldn't be in this situation if I had just told you about..." she hesitated, "about my problem."

Chrome looked at her, puzzled. He never remembered seeing her struggle with something other than her guilt of letting him go, but she had told him that. What problem is she referring to?

"What problem?" he asked gently.  
Lilith hesitated, "I'll tell you just, please try to understand."  
"I'll do my best," Chrome responded gently.

It was there in that hospital room where Chrome heard about her adventures in the Maw. How many times she had nearly been eaten or trapped. The way she killed Roger. It was there where Lilith had told him, on the verge of tears, why she had eaten the Nome in the first place. Chrome was informed of the hunger Lilith felt ever since she had been taken by the Thin Man. Chrome learned about the hardships she faced trying and failing to find ways to satisfy her hunger without eating people. He had discovered of the pressure and the crippling responsibilities placed on her when she became the Lady.

He had learned of why there were so many shattered mirrors and why she always wore a mask.

"I just couldn't look at myself anymore without seeing a monster," she said quietly, "Whenever I looked in the mirror, I either saw you or myself. I'm sorry."  
"Don't apologize, my dear." he murmured, "You did what you had to. Even if I have yet to understand why you did what you did, I forgive you."

Lilith inhaled profoundly and stared up at the ceiling. She looked free, happy. Perhaps she wasn't healed of her trauma, but it made her feel better.

"What about you?" she said at last.  
"What about me?  
"What happened in the Signal Tower?"  
Chrome hesitated, "I don't think it will help if I tell you," he said in a meek tone.  
"If you don't want to, it's okay.", Lilith mumbled, "I'll understand."  
"...I guess it's only fair, isn't it."

Then Chrome unraveled. He told her everything. Chrome told her everything he experienced. He told her through gritted teeth how each time he thought of the good times he had with her, the Eye would hurt him to make him forget. He had to stop and take a breath when he told her how he broadcasted the same signal that had turned his family into monsters.

"If you hadn't saved me, I would've continued, I would've-"  
"But you didn't," Lilith interrupted, "You're safe now. You don't have to be afraid of it anymore."

As time ticked by and minutes turned to hours, the two took turns telling each other what had happened to them. They talked about what had happened to their families, a topic that they would've never spoken about as children. They told of the fear they felt when they were without each other and laughed about the pleasant times they spent together.

"Look at us," Chrome said, "Just a bunch of traumatized adults."  
Lilith released a laughing breath, "I don't think we ever really grew up. We're still the same stupid kids we were before."  
He chuckled, "Look at us bonding like before. I guess you're right."  
"So it's settled," She said with a laugh, "We're a pair of broken kids."

Then they sat there in silence as the gentle beeping of a heart monitor was heard. Reminding Chrome that Lilith was still alive. Lilith put her free hand on Chrome's chest. She felt the rise and fall of his body and the beating of his gentle heart. Lilith sighed in contempt.

"I'll never forget the sound of your breathing.", she said with a smile.  
"And I, the sound of your heart beating.", Chrome responded with glee.

Chrome could see Lilith's eyes flutter close, but he could tell she wanted to stay awake. He smiled at her and let go of her hand to cup her cheek instead. It felt warm and soft. She leaned into his hand and hummed. Chrome could feel his heart hammering in his chest, threatening to burst out of his ribcage. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Lilith." Chrome said, his voice barely noticeable.  
"Yes?" Lilith murmured softly.  
"I love you with all my heart and soul."

Lilith only stared with eyes half-closed. Chrome began to panic. Had he confessed too soon? Did he do something terrible? He looked horrible, didn't he? Several nights of insomnia will do that to a person, but Chrome didn't think he needed to worry about that.

"I'm, I'm sorry," he stammered, "I should've just kept that to myself. I didn't mean to ruin anything between us. I just thought-"

Lilith grabbed his tie, pulled him down. She held him there and stared him I the eyes. She was so close that Chrome could smell the scent of Anesthesia and the scent of roses in her hair. Then she kissed him, and at the contact of their lips, Chrome felt as if the world around him disappeared. The stars were in his hand and the universe in his pocket. The shock of the sudden kiss made Chrome's heart stutter as if it too could not process what had happened. Then, Chrome began to kiss back, his heart felt like a flower that had just bloomed, and his soul felt at peace.

As Lilith kissed Chrome, she could feel his cold hands wrap around her silky black hair. She smiled into the kiss. His lips were the only part of his body that felt warm. She felt as if she were kissing the warm glow of a sunbeam, and there she knew her mind would never wander away from him. Every waking moment she would think of Chrome, he was now her Sun, and she was his moon. Never one without the other.

It was as if their souls had left their bodies and danced amongst the stars. They coiled around each other, separating when necessary only to return to each other hungry for more. It was then that they learned more about their emotions than words could ever describe. There was hurt, anger, sadness, and joy. But most of all, there was love.

That's all it was, pure, unyielding, and powerful love. Never had they ever imagined just how powerful it felt. They had been told stories on how love conquers, but it wasn't until now that they understood. It was as if a magnet pulled them together, like the force of gravity was working tirelessly to keep them together. They had no intention of staying together.

Alas, nothing lasts forever.

Lilith was the first to separate from the kiss and put her index finger up to Chrome's open mouth. Effectively stopping him from pursuing another taste of her intoxicating lips.

"As much as I hate to say it," she gasped, "I'm tired, and I'm sure you are too."  
"Not after that." Chrome murmured drunkenly into her finger.  
She giggled, "Goodnight, Chrome."  
"G'night Lilith." He said disappointedly.

Lilith rolled over, wincing every time she made contact with her ribs and closed her eyes. She wore a small grin on her face, and though it wasn't visible in the dark hospital room, her face was red all over, just like Chromes. Chrome rubbed his red hot neck and got up to go get water. Lord knows he was parched after that very exciting ordeal.

As she heard his footsteps recede, she couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl. She brushed over her lips. Before, she would find them almost feverishly hot, but now they felt pleasantly warm. She smiled to herself as she drifted off. No doubt she would dream of him again tonight.

Chrome would dream of her as well.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The North was a desolate place. It wasn't always like this. The North used to be a place of prosperity and happiness. Filled with vibrant colors and life. Brimming with endless opportunities, and though it had not been perfect, it was good.

Not anymore…

Now it was merely a barren wasteland filled with the rotting corpses of all.

There was a change in the wind. The shift was slight and barely noticeable at first, but then it grew. The severance was like a loose thread on a quilt. All you had to do was pull on it and tug at it and yank it. Then all of a sudden, the quilt was nothing but a pile of thread.

Something had changed.

The boy was free. The girl remained.

The Eye had left

And the wind simply smiled.

:)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> W̸̘̰͂̕ȃ̷̪͌i̸̩̎͠t̸̡̝͆̔ ̸̦̯͂̂ẗ̷̡͓́ḣ̸͔͎̋ã̴͍ț̷̢͛'̷̘̼̏s̷̝͛͝ ̸̡̾n̵̞͛o̶͙̓̊t̷̛̲̓ ̶̝̓s̴̤̭̃u̵͙̿̀͜p̶̹͝p̴̪̓ȏ̵̩̲͊š̷͕͖ē̶̦͔̕ḋ̷̡̰͘ ̸̫̙̽t̵̢̜̒ȏ̸̬̒͜ ̸̘̉͌h̵͕̲͌ã̷͉̿p̴̮̉p̸̜͘ē̵͎̲̈́n̵̝͖̈́̆


	10. Back in the Maw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Somewhere familiar!

It had been two weeks since they had left the Pale City. Lilith had been given the all-clear by Doctor Galen, and the crew swiftly departed. Partially because the Guests were rioting and trying to get off the Maw. But mostly because the second Lilith boarded the Maw, she made an announcement to the staff.

''We're converting the Maw into a rehabilitation center", she said proudly.

This was, of course, after they had greeted and welcomed her back with enthusiasm. There were tears, and fond smiles, some mild scolding (mostly from Granny). Even Grumpy had cracked a smile after seeing their Lady return to the Maw. But as soon as the words left Lilith's mouth, the atmosphere quickly shifted.

The suggestion had shocked everyone. The Chefs both had their mouths agape, Roger's face shifted upward, the Ferryman had fainted, even Aloysius and Chrome were surprised at the revelation. Alice, not knowing what she said, simply nodded enthusiastically.

The mixed reaction had made Lilith's confident demeanor shrink a little, "Well, I thought it was a good idea.", she muttered.  
"It's a start," Aloysius remarked, "But a rehabilitation center for whom? The guests?"  
Lilith cracked a crooked smile.  
Aloysius sighed, "My Lady, I understand that you want to change the Maw into a better place but,"   
Aloysius groaned, "attempting to rehabilitate the Guests is like trying to make sense of whatever comes out of the Eye's mouth. Which reminds me has anyone seen my metal bat?"  
"Thought I saw it down in storage.", Roger said.

As Aloysius walked off, Lilith tried to explain her reasoning, "Of course, maybe the Guests were monsters, but it's not their fault. Technically we encouraged their behavior! I think we should at least try."

Chrome walked toward Lilith and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Lilith, I get where you're coming from, but I think the old candle has a point. I don't think we can bring the guests back.", he held up a hand keeping Lilith from interrupting him, "And even if we could, what would we do with the ones who don't change."

Lilith opened her mouth but closed it again. That was something she hadn't thought of. She didn't want to go around killing them like before, maybe it was okay then, but now she felt different about it. She couldn't quite explain it. Perhaps it was because of her experience of the afterlife. Maybe it was only because it reminded her of what she could've become.

"I just don't want this place to be the same Hell it has been for the last cycles."

Chrome nodded grimly. He had certainly known what it was like to become the monster you once feared. He was glad that he had wholly avoided that, but Lilith, she still had yet to fix her mistakes.

"Maybe we could turn the Maw into what it was supposed to be," Granny suggested, "A safe haven for those who have suffered from the outside."  
"But then there's still the guests." Grumbled Grumpy, "They'll probably see any newcomers as a foreign dish."  
Dopey raised his hand, "Maybe if we asked them nicely to leave?"  
Grumpy snorted, "Yeah, let's drop them off at the North while we're at it."  
"Grumpy," Roger said quietly, "Please don't joke about the North."

Grumpy winced visibly and apologized. Chrome was no doubt intrigued about Roger's past, but he knew better than to pry. As he observed the Ferryman slowly get up from the floor, he thought to himself. The Guests were no doubt an obstacle, but he could think of another block. The Eye certainly worried him daily, but he doubted that it would be happy with what they were doing. It seemed like it didn't mind watching hundreds of people die, but it didn't seem fond of the idea either. Then again, it never really tried to stop Chrome.

"What's so interesting that you all won't shut up." speak of the Devil.

Lilith turned swiftly and glared at theEye. The Eye stood there leaning against the doorway. Its ever-present grin plastered on its face. Lilith growled. She had no sympathy for the Eye. It had caused Chrome enough suffering, and she would have that thing nowhere near him. The only time she had ever even spoken to the Eye was to thank it for resurrecting Chrome, and even that had been said through gritted teeth.

"What are you doing on my ship," She snarled.  
The Eye looked up thoughtfully, "I don't think this is really a ship, more like a fast-moving iceberg." it looked back at Lilith, "And besides, I asked you first."  
Lilith said nothing and bore holes into the Eye's head. The Eye shifted uncomfortably in an attempt to avoid her gaze. This was no doubt an awkward situation even for the Eye. 

Finally, Lilith pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you."  
Chrome recoiled, "Lilith-"  
"I know, but I doubt it's gonna leave us alone if we don't tell it."  
"She's right, you know-"  
"Shut up.", Lilith snarled.  
"Yes, ma'am."  
Lilith inwardly groaned, "We're discussing ways we can turn the Maw into a safe haven for people who have lost their homes due to," she glared pointedly at The Eye, "CERTAIN unforeseen circumstances."  
The Eye quirked an eyebrow, "Whatcha looking at me for? I didn't do shit. As for your topic of conversation, I assume a major problem would be the Guests?"

Everyone in the room nodded or murmured in agreement, "I can fix that problem easily."  
This time it was Chrome's turn to quirk an eyebrow, "You'd help?"  
The Eye raised its hands, "But of course, why wouldn't I. I mean, I somewhat owe you both. You're the only ones who haven't decided to punch or kick me in the face.

It was true. Almost every staff member in the Maw had something to say about the Eye. Aloysius had no doubt explained everything to them. Which most likely revealed that Roger was making an effort to avoid Lilith. Either way, the minute the Eye stepped foot in the Maw, it had been stabbed by Grumpy. Kicked by the Ferryman. Had a large object thrown at it (Courtesy of Roger). Punched by the Granny in the only place she could reach (That one made Chrome wince visibly), and even Dopey put in his two cents by smacking it with a frying pan.

"What exactly are you gonna do?" questioned Lilith.  
The Eye simply smiled, "I have my ways with the Filth of this Earth."

The answer made Lilith uneasy, but she didn't dwell on it. Mostly because Aloysius walked back into the room with a metal bat slung across his shoulder. The Eye nodded at him.

"Sup Bell Boy!."  
"Ah, just who I wanted to see!"  
The Eye beamed, "Oh really!", it looked at the staff, "Well, what a nice change of pace. It's good to see you to- What's with the bat?"  
Aloysius hummed and quickly strode across the room towards it. The Eye began to back away.  
"Now, let's calm down. No wait, wait, WAIT-"

The baseball bat smashed into the Eye's face. Everyone winced at the crack of the bat. The Eye fell backward onto the ground holding its nose. It cried out a series of colorful swears. Aloysius calmly strolled over the Eye and towered over it. He smiled and swung the bat again. The staff watched and winced repeatedly. Alice clapped her hands.

"Oh, that sounded like it hurt," Roger cringed.  
Grumpy nodded, "It looked worse than it sounded.  
"FUCKING HELP ME, OW!"  
"Nah, I'm alright," Lilith snickered.  
"The human body is quite the durable thing," mused Chrome.  
"Bet you five bucks the bat will break before the Eye's body," said the Granny  
"Deal," grunted the Ferryman.  
Dopey just cheered, "AIM FOR THE IN-BETWEENS!"

A final crack of the bat and a loud groan proved that Aloysius took Dopey's advice. The Ferryman grumbled and gave the Granny five bucks. The bat had indeed broken before the Eye. Aloysius stood up straight, and the Eye slowly rose to his feet.

"Oh, you crazy BITCH!", The Eye snarled.  
Aloysius shrugged. The Eye took a deep breath and breathed out. It ran its hands through its deep purple hair.  
"Okay, first of all, ow. Second of all, fair enough, I definitely deserved that after the shit I put all of you through but OW!." the Eye waved its hands in surrender, "You know what, I'm cool with that. I'm alright with what just happened." He jerked his thumb gesturing out the door, "I'm gonna go take care of your problem, and I'm gonna be feeling those bruises on my feeble human body for weeks."

The Eye limped out of the room, and Aloysius hummed to himself, "That was one of the best experiences of my life."

The Staff members snickered amongst themselves. Alice started playing with the little toy duck Aloysius gave her. Lilith grabbed Chrome's hand and gave it a small squeeze of comfort.

"Are you alright?" Lilith asked, her tone dripping with concern.  
Chrome chuckled, "Are you kidding? That was one of the best things that could've ever happened right now. Well," he paused and smirked, "I could think of something else."  
"Oh, could you now?" she giggled.  
"Holy Crap, are you two dating."

The two of them froze. Grumpy stared at them incredulously. Lilith smiled awkwardly while Chrome flushed a deep red and started grumbling.

"Was it that obvious?" Lilith asked meekly  
"No, no, NO NO DAMMIT NO!"  
Chrome scowled, "Well, I know I'm not the best choice, but you could at least sugarcoat it."  
Dopey smiled. "Alright, pay up."

The staff members all grumbled and slapped a wad of cash in Dopey's hands. Even Aloysius walked over to Dopey and dropped a few quarters in his palm. It took Lilith everything not to burst out laughing and cause herself some minor pain. Chrome, meanwhile, stared at them all incredulously.

"You BET on us?"  
"They said it'll take you two more than a year," Dopey said with a grin, "I said a month tops, I may not be smart, but I can read people good enough."  
"Indeed he is," muttered Aloysius.  
"Perfect," Chrome groaned, "I'm gonna die of embarrassment."  
"Oh, calm down, boxhead," Lilith purred, "They were bound to find out anyway. It was just a matter of time."

Lilith kissed his cheek gently, making Chrome even redder than he already was. Alice gasped and squealed at the action, her little legs kicked rapidly, and she clapped her hands in excitement. Aloysius smiled at the little girl's reaction.

"While this conversation was rather pleasant, I do believe we should get back to work.", Aloysius said.  
"Aloysius is right. We should get to work immediately. Fix up the Maw and make everything comfortable for everyone who comes here", Lilith said in a sweet voice.

The group left and entered the dining area to go to their respective sections from the Maw. Most of them chattered amongst themselves, but Chrome, Lilith, and Roger strayed back. The three of them were silent. The atmosphere amongst them was heavy with tension.

Lilith spoke to Roger, "Roger if it means anything to you, I really am sorry."  
At first, Roger stayed silent. Lilith looked down at her feet, ashamed. Roger was almost like a father to her while she was growing up. She hated making Roger disappointed as a child, which certainly hadn't changed as she grew up.

Roger spoke softly, "What happened, happened. I can't change it, and neither can you, no matter how much regret we feel for our actions. I forgive you, Lilith, but please." Roger pleaded, "Please don't lie to me again."

Lilith nodded, "I won't, I promise.  
Roger smiled, "Then I don't see why I should hold a grudge, kiddo. Besides, there wasn't much we could do anyway. The kids aren't alive, so it's not like we killed anyone."  
"But I still don't like it."  
"Neither do I, but sometimes you just have to look on the bright side of things."  
Chrome stopped them both, "Why did they stop talking?"

Lilith looked at the end of the hallway and saw that the staff had stopped at the dining area opening. Aloysius was pushing past them, shielding a now crying Alice.

Lilith felt dread wash over her, "Aloysius, what happened?"  
Aloysius shook his head grimly, "I wouldn't look if I were you, My Lady."

Lilith was confused, and then it hit her. The familiar smell of blood wafted through the air. She found herself feeling revolted and yet intoxicated by the scent. Roger gagged, and Chrome stiffened. So she didn't imagine it.

Lilith rushed past the staff and pushed Dopey aside, who was trying to cover her view of the dining room. She covered her mouth in shock.

Hundreds of Guests lay dead, their insides turned out and their organs decorating the wall. Some of their heads stood on the tables, impaled by the candle stands. Body parts and limbs were thrown about the Maw. And blood, there was so much blood. Blood covered the walls, the floors, and somehow even the ceiling, which was impossible to reach without assistance.

And there amongst the carnage stood the Eye. Holding up a corpse by their ribcage. The Eye did not wear a smile, nor did it have that mischievous look in its eyes. The Eye simply gazed upon the carnage soaked in blood that was not it's own.

"You killed these people," Lilith said quietly.

The Eye turned to face her and let out a breath that would have resembled a laugh, "They were never people."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nicholas was very happy. He had gotten Ice cream and Candy for his birthday. His friends were here, and so was his entire family. It was his birthday! He was turning five years old today!

Nicholas was so excited, his dad said that they would go fishing together today after the party! He loved fishing! He would always release the fish he caught back in the ocean, but he loved looking at the little fish!

He looked at the giant cake in front of him and blew on the candles! He wished that the rest of his life would always be like this! Nicholas was so very happy. His mom had given him a big kiss on the cheek and told him to play with his friends.

Today was his special day!

He wished the rest of his life could be just today! Nicholas ran to his friends and felt the wind ruffle his hair and tickle his legs. He and his friends always had so much fun! They always played the best games together! Whenever Nicholas got sad, his friends and family would always cheer him up.

He said bye to his grandpa, he was friendly, and he always gave the best hugs. He would always tell wondrous stories from the North. He would always tell the scary story of the Wind every time they went camping.

Nicholas didn't think the Wind was scary! He told his friends he'd be back and went to the edge of the woods. Someone said to him that he could make one wish to the forest, and it would hear him and grant it!

Nicholas went to the edge of the forest.

"Hello!" he said to the dark forest.

The Wind whistles, and he felt a hand ruffled his hair.

"It's my birthday today! May I have a wish, please!?" Nicholas asked politely. Mommy always said to be friendly to the spirits and angels in the forest. He saw the wind smile. Grandpa said the wind was scary, the wind wasn't very scary to Nicholas.

"I wish the rest of my life could be today!" he said to the Wind.

The Wind nodded, and Nicholas bounced with glee. Now every day would be fantastic and happy! The Wind left the forest, and it didn't have any eyes, only a wide toothy smile. Nicholas tilted his head, the Wind had three holes, but they didn't have eyes in them. Nicholas smiled again. The kind Wind was going to give him his wish!

That was his last thought before the Wind tore little Nicholas apart.

Its black claws were a whirlwind of blood and shadow as it bit into Nicholas's small body. It tore him to shreds, and the wind heard Grandpa wail and beg. The Wind remembered every face. The Wind would save him for last.

The Wind tore into the family's home and killed, maimed, and mangled everyone there. It seems the wind did not know what mercy was. It killed the parents first. The Wind loved seeing children cry. Their wails of despair and anguish brought it, Joy.

There was nothing like hearing the sound of purity disappearing. When it killed the children, it made sure to do it slowly, tearing their frail bodies and feasting on the remains leaving only bones behind. He let one escape. The girl thought she saved her brother. The Wind loved playing this game of pretending. It was its favorite.

Then the Wind traveled to the city, Grandpa's wails sounding like music to the Winds ears. Its many hands tore apart all that lived, and behind it, the grass and leaves withered. The Wind took their life just like it did to their ancestors.

Nicholas got his wish. The rest of his life had been that day.

And the Wind simply smiled.

:)

Ị̶̧͓̈́̇̄͛̽̋͜ ̵̨̝̯̥̊̒t̷̨͓̯̙̫̲̫̊h̷͕̠̗̘̪̣̍̈̈͐̈́i̴̫͎̙̬̩̾̍̾͌̚ń̴̢̧̼̮͖͕̤̾̚k̶̰̯̣̦̪̐̃̉̈́̃͌͝ ̵̞͔͈̯͓̪͆̈́̀͠y̶̪͉͕̤̖̗̹̆̃͆̾̇̚ô̷̭͈̕ŭ̷̹̼̭̏ ̴̢̂ṣ̵̳͍̤̰͖͋̄h̵̟̉̒̀̀͐̏o̶̰̟̬̺̙͎̅͗͂̌͘͜u̶̧̨̙̻̳̰͐̋l̴̨̧̮̘̱͎̊d̴̡̲̍̓̈́ ̸͈͈̀r̵̺͎͓̬͕̃̍̄́͜͝ù̴̡̻̞̩͌̾͊͘͝ņ̷̤̠̖͑͜͜͝͝.̴̨̣̘̩͔̹͕̎̃̆͝

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Run, rabbit. Run, rabbit run, run, run.   
> Here comes the North Wind for fun, fun, fun  
> You will die and the children will cry  
> So run, rabbit. Run, rabbit. Run, run, run.
> 
> :)


	11. Little Lost Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Kindness will be your undoing!_
> 
> :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'VE GOT FANART!!!!!
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CL_BzVdr50X/ By Saturn_Corpse
> 
> GO GIVE EM A FOLLOW AND A LIKE BECAUSE THAT ART IS AMAZING!

To say that the Eye was bored out of its mind was an understatement.

The Eye had spent the last four hours cleaning up the mess it made in the dining area. Aloysius had forced him to sit with him in the Maw’s control room. Aloysius wasn’t too happy about it, but the Lady had insisted that Aloysius be the one to watch it.

When it was bored, the Eye would usually look through its many eyes to look around the outside world. But to do that, it needed to look through all of its eyes. And no doubt the way Lilith was eyeing Chrome. Well, the Eye did not want to see that. Not in the slightest.

The Eye made a popping sound with its mouth as it waited for anything mildly interesting to happen. It stared at the mapping table, where Alice was attempting to color with crayons that seemed comically larger than her. The Eye remembered an amusing idea that it heard from one of the voices of the outside.

_I would give her a tiny dress, a tiny purse, and some tiny boots._

The Eye smiled at the thought. Alice certainly needed shoes. The Eye had seen multiple cycles where Six and Mono had worn nothing on their feet. In some loops that had caused some...Fatalities.

The Eye frowned at the thought, so many cycles where they both died to something sales that wasn’t themselves. Some Loops were happy, Six didn’t let go of Mono, Mono never killed the Thin man. But they never lasted. Six always got hungry and the Thin Man. Well, the Thin Man was completely numb, and the only thing he could feel was hatred. You could guess what happened when the Thin Man tried to stay around a child he despised for so long.

The Eye didn’t want to think about that.

Instead, it decided to collect some equipment and start knitting. It closed its eyes, and the flesh felt tendrils rise out of its back. The tendrils dropped a pair of white boots and a small knitting kit. The Eye quickly got to operate, its human hands were clumsy, but the tendrils were quick to work. The Eye noticed Alice staring at it and smiled at her. She waved at it.

The Eye loved children. They did not deserve the hardships of the world.

An average human might’ve taken hours to create a dress and a purse, but it only took the Eye a few moments. When the Eye was done, it had made a little purple dress and a matching wool handbag. Alice stared timidly at the dress and purse with a look of fascination.

The Eye raised its eyebrows. It gestured to the clothes and bag.

_Do you want this?_

The Eye spoke into the little girl’s mind. It may seem like English, but the Eye spoke in every language, including the unspoken ones. The girl’s eyes widened, and she gestured to herself. The Eye nodded. Alice smiled shyly and shook her head up and down enthusiastically.

The Eye grinned and willed the tendrils to give Alice her gifts. She carefully grabbed them from the flesh tendrils. Her mind thanked him, and she tried on the clothes. The Eye looked away politely. Alice made a sound that indicated she had finished.

The Eye looked at Alice. She was giggling excitedly and spun around in a circle. Her little boots now softened her footsteps, and she seemed to enjoy them the most. The Eye noticed how she put a crayon in the handbag. The Eye chuckled at how comically large the crayon looked.

The action made Aloysius spin around quickly, “What did you do now?”

Aloysius’s nonexistent eyebrows rose. The Eye stared at him with a bored look on his face while Alice beamed at him. Aloysius did not fail to notice the new clothes that Alice wore. Aloysius glanced back at the Eye.

“What, I was bored.”  
Aloysius stared at the Eye quizzically, “No other reason?”  
The Eye scoffed and stammered, “Well, I mean, I guess I was kind of worried about her walking around this filthy place with bare feet.”  
“Mhm.” Aloysius said unconvinced, “Nothing to gain from that?”  
“I’m serious, she scrapes her foot on a rusty nail, and she’s gone in a week.”, the Eye snapped.

Aloysius shivered at the thought. He had definitely grown fond of the little girl in red. She reminded him of his own daughter. His mind flooded with sadness at the thought of his long-dead daughter. The Eye had nothing to do with that situation. She was with her mother in the North.

It was one of Aloysius’ many regrets.

“I thought you hated children.” Aloysius mused.  
The Eye looked offended, “The hell gave you that idea?”

Aloysius stared at the Eye, expecting a sort of twisted joke. He searched its face for a sign of mischief. Still, He was surprised when the Eye seemed genuinely concerned and annoyed that Aloysius had assumed such a thing.

For an eldritch being made of eyes, The Eye seemed very blind to reality.

Aloysius opened his mouth to speak, but a rapid beeping was heard to his left. Aloysius whipped around to see what was happening. He had heard beeps before, and most of the time, it never meant anything good. 

There was red light beeping right above a speaker. Aloysius pressed the button quickly, and immediately a voice blared through.

“ _Hello! Hello! Is anyone out there!?_ ”  
Aloysius pressed another button and adjusted the nearby microphone, “Hello?”  
The voice on the other side began to scream, “OH THANK GOD! WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEEDS OF HELP! WE HAVE SEVERAL INJURED, AND WE RAN OUT OF FOOD A FEW DAYS AGO! PLEASE HELP-”  
Aloysius attempted to calm the voice down, “I need your location. Is the captain of the ship there?”  
“ _The captain committed Suicide._ ”, the voice said in a tremulous tone, “ _I don’t know where we are._ ”

That wasn’t good. Aloysius needed their coordinates. Without them, he couldn’t hope to find them in the vast Ocean. Aloysius shook his head. There was nothing he could do if he didn’t have-

“35.7465° North, 39.4629° West”  
Aloysius turned to look at the Eye. It’s tattoos glowing once more.  
“I would hurry Al, they don’t seem to be in great shape.”  
Aloysius decided not to question it.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilith sighed in content. She lay calmly in her bed next to a completely bright red Chrome. Chrome had the top part of his shirt ripped open and had multiple bites and lipstick marks all over his neck and collarbone. Chrome was breathing heavily and had one arm slung over his face in embarrassment.

Lilith was undoubtedly eager to continue, but Chrome wanted to stop. Not because he didn’t enjoy it, but he enjoyed it a little TOO much. Lilith wasn’t going to keep going if Chrome didn’t want to.

“You alright there?” Lilith teased.  
“Just give me a moment,” Chrome wheezed.

Lilith snickered and stared up at the ceiling. She didn’t mind waiting a little bit for him. She loved it when he got flustered. He always looked so cute. She sighed again. He felt a cold hand wrap around hers. She locked eyes with Chrome, and they both smiled at each other.

Then she heard a frantic knock on her door. Her eye twitched in annoyance. What was the point in having a “DO Not Disturb” sign if no one would listen to it? She quickly straddled Chrome, and he stared at her, very surprised.

“Lilith that sounded important-”  
“In a minute”, she snarled.

Lilith kissed him, and he did not hesitate to kiss back. As their lips locked, she felt the same feeling of euphoria as before. She had lost herself in the kiss. The only thing grounding her to reality was Chrome’s hands stroking her hair and neck.

That and the sound of her door being run down.

“My Lady I apologize but this isAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”

Aloysius screamed and covered Alice’s eyes quickly and shut his own. Lilith immediately broke away from the kiss and stared at Aloysius meekly. Chrome grumbled, sounding very disappointed.

The Eye rushed in quickly, “What the hell are you screaming about-”, the Eye met Liliths gaze, “Ew.”

Lilith hid her face in Chrome’s shoulder in embarrassment.  
“What’s so important that you had to barge in here and ruin the mood.” said in a tight voice.  
“Oh, there’s a ship full of people who escaped off the coast of some country. They looked pretty scuffed up, and they’re boarding the ship now.” The Eye said nonchalantly.

Lilith and Chrome started to scramble towards the door but fell on each other. Now they lay on the floor a tangle of limbs. Alice snickered at the loud thump.  
“Please take your time. My Lady, I suggest you change into some _cleaner_ clothes and as for you Chrome.” He took his hands off his eyes so he could stare into Chrome’s soul, “We will have a serious conversation later. Wash off the lipstick, and please put on some of the Lady’s make-up to cover the,” Aloysius coughed, “Hickeys.”

Chrome scowled and flushed a deep red, Lilith however, was absolutely burning with embarrassment. That and well, Chrome was quite literally on top of her. Aloysius left the room, leaving the Eye staring at them both and wearing a look of disgust on his face.

“I’m just glad you didn’t hate fuck like the last cycle where you two met.”

The Eye was promptly hit over the head with Lilith’s sandal.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

People started to flood the Maw. There were so many injured and so many that had died on the ship. Some were unharmed, but most of them were in some sort of pain. But they all had the same look of wide-eyed terror.

The Eye watched from a corner as the staff did their best to try and herd them to certain areas, but there was no use, their numbers were small, and they couldn’t hope to try and control the masses.

Luckily there were already plenty of people who had been leading the refugees for the past few days, and they did a damn good job too. Doctors were among them, and they helped who they could, but too many people were injured. They needed more medical staff.

The Eye briefly wondered if Doctor Galen would agree to join the Maw.

Of course, the Eye had bigger fish to fry. Wherever caused this mass evacuation was big. And it didn’t seem that whatever did, it was very benevolent either. Whatever it was, it concerned the Eye. It had questions, and it wanted answers now.

The Eye, however, would be patient. These people had suffered enough. Most of them were missing something, a finger, an eye, a limb. Sometimes ahead. Some people had been severely unlucky, and whatever chased them off had taken souvenirs.

These people, for some reason, wanted to give the corpses a proper burial. That was their defense, but the Eye knew better. If they got desperate enough, they’d be just like the previous occupants of the Maw.

The Eye once again brought its attention to the shortage of medical staff and sighed deeply. The Eye didn’t remember being so quick to help humans. There was a time where that was all the Eye would do…

But then the Father left the world to him.

And it was because of them.

The Eye scowled but begrudgingly summoned a couple tendrils of flesh. There were screams. There were always screams, but once the people realized the tendrils meant no harm, they reluctantly let the Fleshy arms tend to their wounds.

The Eye groaned inwardly. Here it was helping humans once again. Man, things were weird outside the signal tower. The Eye spotted Chrome talking to an old man. The man seemed terrified, but there was a look in his eyes. A look that the Eye recognized far too well.

That was the look of a broken man.

Many people wore the same look among the refugees but fear dominated over any other emotion. This man’s eyes burned with hatred and anger.

The Eye was intrigued, to say the least.

It approached Chrome, and immediately it saw Chrome stiffen up at the sight of the Eye. The Eye couldn’t guess why he did that. Maybe he was still angry at it. The Eye didn’t blame him, but Chrome tended to be more explosive when he was angry. The Eye shook its head and looked at the man.

“He say anything?”, the Eye said in a toneless voice.  
Chrome flinched, “He has, but he speaks Portuguese. I can’t understand him.”  
Lilith walked over and got in between Chrome and the Eye. The Eye shook it off, “You wouldn’t happen to speak Portuguese, would you Sixer?”  
“Lilith,” she sneered, “and no, I don’t. I could get a doctor who’s bilingual-”  
“No need,” The Eye turned to the man, “Importa-se de me dizer o que você viu?”

The old man, Chrom, and Lilith all stared at it awestruck. The Eye made a confused gesture, “What? I speak everything. I thought that was common knowledge.”

The old man shifted, “Lembrou de mim,” he said in a gravelly voice.  
“It remembered me” repeated the Eye grimly.

And as the man continued, the Eye translated, “It came to my grandchild on his birthday. It tore him to shreds near the edge of the woods, and then it came for the rest of my family. It killed the adults first but the children. The children it killed slowly, drawing out their deaths, so it was as painful as possible. Toying with them like cat toys with a mouse. It left me alone though, it remembered me. It punished me for surviving its previous massacre. I ran to warn the town, and we evacuated but.”, it was then the man started to cry, “It brought with it fire and death. Even the wild animals fled from it, trampling people to save themselves. The spirits of the forest tried to flee but...It was useless.”

Lilith and Chrome said nothing, both too shocked and horrified to register the man’s tale. 

Chrome spoke first, “What was it?”  
The Eye translated the question, and the man simply looked up at them with a dead look in his eye.

“O vento norte.”

The Eye did not translate that. It didn’t have to. The name of the Devil himself was known to everyone. As children, most learned most of the Wind’s titles if a foreign stranger was warning them to stay away. This was simply one of the many names of the North Wind.

The Devil itself.

The Eye turned on its heel and left the room. It could feel the tattoos on its back begin to burn with pain. The mention of the name had set off something in the Eye. It walked up to a crate and translated the message it wanted to say into everyone’s mind.

_Which one of you have lost everything and have nothing left to live for_

For a minute, no one stood up. Then the old man rose to his feet slowly. Everyone in the room was confused except for Chrome. Chrome knew precisely what the Eye was doing. As the Eye approached the old man, Chrome walked up and stood in its way.

“Get out of my way.”  
“You’re not taking him to the Signal Tower,” Chrome said in a scared yet determined voice, “He’s not like me. He’ll die”  
“Last I checked, he looked pretty willing, now get out of my way.”  
“The Signal Tower doesn’t even have anything to do with this. Why are you-”  
“Last warning, get out of my way.”

Chrome stood his ground, and the Eye counted to three. Then it threw him across the room, mumbling the words “for your own good.” Lilith screamed out Chrome’s name and ran toward him as Chrome slid to the ground, and the Eye grabbed the man’s hand and began to walk him towards an unplugged Television set.

It blared to life, and The Eye heard Lilith scream in rage. She lunged towards him, and it felt shadows wrap around his ankles. The eye flicked his wrist. On cue, a tendril of flesh wrapped around the Lady and threw her into the ground. The shadows evaporated.

It could see the staff and several people approaching him, and this time it didn’t even raise a finger. It could hear the several thuds, groans of pain, and screams of fear as the once-friendly flesh arms turned hostile. 

“Do you have a name?” the Eye asked in Portuguese.  
“Christopher,” said the man.  
“You will not be forgotten, Christopher.”  
“If I am, it does not matter. As long as I can protect these beautiful people and join my family in heaven, I will be happy.”, the man said sadly, “I pray that God has mercy on my soul.”  
The Eye scoffed but said nothing. It had no right to hurt this man’s faith or trust.  
“Will my sacrifice protect them?” asked Christopher.  
“Only temporarily”, the Eye said, “But it will buy me time to fix this.”  
Christopher smiled, “then so be it.”

Christopher let go of The Eye’s hand and walked into the TV. The Eye shut its eyes sadly as it heard the silent scream of static. It shuddered, remembering the name of the Devil once more.

And as the staff prepared to give the Eye a piece of their mind. And the refugees rose to riot, and Chrome and Lilith prepared to hurt the Eye for the first time. The Eye turned to them all a shaking mess. The room grew silent, and fear seemed like a disease. The Eye did not wear its casual grin, its smug smile, or its threatening frown.

The Eye was shaking, and every single pupil on its tattoos contracted. It was then that everyone in that room realized.

The Eye was terrified.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A black hand made contact with an invisible barrier, and it made the wind scowl. Multiple islands were set aflame, and the screaming of those left behind sang to the Wind. The pleads to a God who had left them rose above.

Fools.

The Father left his children in the hands of the Wind.

The Wind was their God, and the world was its plaything.

The Wind smiled again as it remembered the Eye. The giant mound of flesh that had fought so hard to keep its territory and the people in it safe. But The Eye did not care for the people. It only cared for the children.

The Wind always hated children.

The Wind’s smile grew impossibly wide. This time when the Eldritch being and the Devil clash, it would be different. There would be no Father to save the Eye.

And the Wind would finish gouging out the Eyes just like the flesh done to it.

One By One

And The Wind looks at you. Smiling widely, it stares at you with its empty bleeding eye sockets. And then its haunting, toneless guttural voice whispered in your ears as gravelly and horrifying as it was gruff. And as you feel fear slither into your heart and wrap around your soul, it speaks to you.

_How it must feel to be helpless and weak  
How it must feel to be afraid of what comes next  
Don’t worry. They will all die. None will be able to kill me.  
And you will sit there and watch, your threats empty and your words painless.  
As they all beg for someone to save them or their children..._

_**C O W A R D S** _

And as you finish reading, the Wind begins to hunt.

But for whom I wonder?

:)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cover your ears and close your eyes  
> Heed my warning or prepare to die  
> The North Wind is coming and there's nowhere to hide  
> Ignore all its words for they are all lies  
> Light up the candles and turn off the lights  
> The North Wind is hunting for its appetite
> 
> :)


	12. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can I offer you a deleted scene in this trying time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry readers, I had a family outing to attend to (it was small, we wore maskes and we barely interacted with anyone don't worry) so I was unable to dish out today's full chapter plus I wanna have an intermission in between the act of every story. So Chapter 11 was the end of Act 1 (Should've been chapter 9 but I got a bit too carried away 😅) don't worry I'm not taking a break and if I'm lucky I'll be able to finish today's chapter and post it today. If I'm not then we'll keep the story going for tomorrow. In the meantime enjoy a deleted scene from the story that I really liked but couldn't fit anywhere 😊

Chrome sat against the countertop of the Maw’s main bar. He gulped down his sixth shot of whiskey and felt the contents rush down his throat. Chrome groaned. He had no intention of staying here for too long. But then again, where was he going to go.

He wasn’t going back to the Signal Tower, that was certain.

He poured himself another shot when he heard familiar silent footsteps approaching him slowly. He sighed in annoyance and turned around to say hello to the Lady of the Maw. Chrome felt his breath catch in his throat as he gaped at Lilith.

She didn’t have her mask on, good that thing creeped out Chrome anyway. She looked like she had just woken up. But that wasn’t the case. Lilith had put on a bit of makeup and simply put her hair up to keep it out of her face. Her groggy attitude was simply a result of Lilith not being a morning person.

Some things never changed.

Lilith yawned and opened one of her eyes. When she finished yawning, she smirked and put a hand on her hip. Someone was staring.

“How do I look?” she teased.  
Chrome felt his face flush, like hell he was letting this woman play with his heartstrings, “Christ, I haven’t seen you in fifty years, and you’re still the ugliest piece of fucking shit on the planet.”

Lilith did not drop her smile, but her eye twitched, and her sharp fingernails (more like claws, really) dug into her hip. The absolute rage emanated from her would ward off any intelligent human being with a will to live.

Chrome, however, was a stupid human being with absolutely no will to live.

“I speak the truth and nothing but the truth.” he snickered as he took another shot.

Lilith slowly walked backward and disappeared into the shadow. Chrome recoiled and felt himself grow concerned. Had he hurt her feelings? Did Lilith take that personally?

His questions were answered as he felt a mouth full of jagged teeth bite down on his bicep. Lilith growled as she sunk her teeth deep into his flesh. It took Chrome a moment to register what happened.

Only a moment.

Then he screamed.

Aloysius turned the corner and saw a flailing, screaming Chrome try to wrench a very pissed-off Lilith. Aloysius sighed and pinched his nose. He shot a quick glance at the calendar  
“Twenty-one years and seven months,” Aloysius said tiredly, “Then I can retire or die.”


	13. Don't you understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You Idiots

Lilith glared at the Eye intensely.

The Eye had been shaking the entire trip up to the Maw’s control room. Lilith felt absolutely no sympathy for it. It had damned another soul to the Signal Tower, and now everyone in the Maw was terrified of it.

Those poor people had just escaped an evil eldritch being, and now they were stuck on an iceberg with another one. Lilith didn’t blame them for being scared. She was scared too. The Eye had tossed them all aside like they were nothing but flies and the fact that the Eye seemed terrified of the North Wind.

Lilith could feel herself getting anxious. The foreboding aura that the Eye was giving off didn’t help either.

Most of the staff was downstairs, helping the refugees or the children in the Maw. Making sure everyone was comfortable and safe. Aloysius was the only one here besides Lilith and Chrome.

Alice was also there, humming to herself and dancing on top of the mapping table. She had somehow gotten her hands on a box of crackers and was happily munching on one while spinning around. She had a new dress. Lilith was surprised at that, but she had bigger things to worry about.

“What the hell was that downstairs,” Lilith snapped at the Eye.  
The Eye flinched and shuddered, “What was what?”  
“You know what she’s talking about.”, muttered Chrome.  
“Oh, you mean me buying most of humanity a couple of days before absolute annihilation?” asked the Eye sarcastically.  
“You’re welcome. Now shut up so I can think.”  
Lilith recoiled and snarled, “No. You’re going to tell us what in the hell is going on with you.”  
The Eye snapped, “I’m trying this goddamn clusterfuck of a situation, so just shut up and give a couple of hours to think of a solution.”  
“Don’t give me that bullshit.” Aloysius cursed

Everyone stared at Aloysius in surprise. He never swore even under the most extreme of circumstances. Even The Eye seemed mildly surprised at Aloysius’ colorful language. Alice stared up at Aloysius curiously.

“I know you have a solution, the way you reacted means that you’ve dealt with this THING before. You must’ve had a contingency plan of sorts, so why don’t you share that with us.”  
The Eye stared at Aloysius, “Alright fine,” he pointed at Chrome, “He has to come with me back to the Signal Tower.”

Chrome jumped back immediately. Lilith stood between them both, “No you’re not taking me to that horrible place!” he yelled.  
The Eye laughed nervously, “See, this is why I didn’t mention. There’s no point in a contingency plan if it requires a human who isn’t a psychopath.” the Eye shrugged, “well, a COMPLETE psychopath.”  
The Eye shook its head and smoothed its hair back. It laughed silently, almost like it was trying to keep itself from doing anything else. The Eye started to get up slowly.

“I don’t want to alarm anyone, but that Tower is supposed to be a protective bubble to contain the North Wind” The Eye spat the name with venom, “Even without Chrome or me. And considering that the Wind left the bubble means that the stupid Tower isn’t working anymore.”  
The Eye yanked a clump of its own hair out, causing Alice to flinch, “That being said, if I were to create an energy source or find an alternative source, I might be able to keep the bubble up for a few more years. Maybe.”

The Eye put its head in its hands again. Chrome and Lilith slowly sat down. The situation was getting out of hand. Clearly, the North Wind is dangerous, but now the fear they felt had been magnified because of the Eye’s own fear of the North Wind. The Eye straightened up and took a deep breath.

“I got nothing.”  
Silence filled the room. Chrome stood up, “What if we were to fight him? Perhaps with us, you would have a better chance.”  
The Eye started to laugh maniacally, “I fought that thing twice. I only won once because I was young and in my prime the second time around.” 

The Eye lifted its shirt, and the sight caused everyone in the room to gasp or recoil. The tattoos on the Eye’s body were red and looked as if they were bleeding. White scars covered the tattoos, almost as if the eyes were clawed out.

“The second time,” it continued “,that thing demonstrated the law of the beasts. ‘An eye for an eye’” The Eye laughed shakily, “I just realized how ironic it sounds.”  
Chrome continued, “But we can help-”  
The Eye laughed again, “Lilith has fragile ribs, and a solid blow to her chest from me or the Wind would shatter them like glass,” Lilith crossed her arms in annoyance and also as a precaution, “You can barely use your ‘abilities ‘properly and not to mention I quite literally mopped the floor with all of you.” The Eye shook its head, “You wouldn’t last a minute.”

Chrome stood there, silently sorting through his chaotic thoughts. Lilith stared at the Eye. She almost looked at it in pity. The Eye didn’t want sympathy. It wanted answers. Chrome looked at the Eye curiously and then infuriated.

“Is that why you trapped us in the loop?” ventured Chrome, “To keep the wind in the North?”  
The Eye looked hesitant, “Partially, it helped keep the Signal Tower as it was. It kept the North Wind from escaping. It-” the Eye stopped.  
“No, keep going,” Chrome said in a low growl, “Why did you trap us in the loop.”  
The Eye shifted its weight nervously, “It was an attempt to keep you and other children safe.”  
Chrome chuckled ruefully and shook his head, “Was it always like that?”

This time it was the Eyes turn to shift through its thoughts. It shook its head and pinched the bridge of its nose. It sighed. There was no reason to lie anymore. They were all gonna die anyway.

“When I set up the tower,” it started, “I was trying my best to clean up this world. Because I was left behind by some I loved.”, everyone stared at it confusedly, it waved its hands frantically “He was like my dad didn’t make it weird, anyway I was left behind, and I foolishly thought he would come back. And so I tried my best to make everything as perfect as possible.”   
The Eye’s expression grew dark, “But you stupid hairless monkeys fucked everything up. You just kept hurting each other. You kept trying to provoke monsters that have felled empires.”   
The Eye took a breath, “So I created the signal In an attempt to keep you all in a ‘paradise’ of sorts. I created the Maw to reach places where televisions couldn’t reach.”  
“You made the Maw?”, asked Aloysius in surprise.  
“Yeah, and everything was fine. People were turning into monsters, but you weren’t killing anyone anymore. Well,” The Eye shrugged, “Not as much.”  
The Eye’s relaxed hands turned into fists, “And then you three came along. You were all one of the only people that weren’t affected”, it pointed at Aloysius, “And you had the uncanny ability to make people into humans again. The three of you saw the Tower as a threat. And you tried to destroy it with a group of children.”  
The Eye laughed, and it boreholes into Chrome’s head, “And YOU, you led them. You were the reason that the signal tower nearly fell. So, I did what I had to.”

The Eye raised its hands, and shadows much like Liliths poured out of them. The darkness formed two things. One of them was a tall, slender lady who looked almost exactly like Lilith. Except for the mouth of the mask, unhinged to show multiple rows of long jagged teeth.

The Second form was taller and thinner. It looked much like Chrome, except it wasn’t. Its eyes were black and empty, and it wore a large yellow-toothed smile. It was much taller than Chrome, and its face was all wrinkled and worn.

“Say hello to the Broadcaster and the original Lady of the Maw.” the Eye said with a sadistic smile, “With these little puppets, I was planning on killing you. But I felt bad about it. You were children, and you only thought that I was the bad guy, and it was a fair assumption.”  
The Eye dissipated the shadows, “That’s when I started the loop. But it was a problem, there were only two of them, and you all always seemed to nearly overpower them. You three would die but only if I intervened, and I don’t want blood on my hands.”  
The Eye scoffed, “Too late for that, anyway, that’s why I made the Nest and a few extra special monsters. The Nest was reserved for the most cunning girl of your group and her friend who had the ‘ability’ to make things disappear with the touch of her hand. And also, Lilith.”

Lilith stood up slowly. Anger radiated from her “You made the Nest. And you trapped her in there.”

The Eye stared at Lilith, “Her name was Sage, in case you were wondering.”

Lilith made a movement but stopped, “Who was the other girl.” she asked, her voice shaking.

The Eye looked at her with intense curiosity. Tapped his chin mockingly, “Well her name was Veronica, but I think you two called,” The Eye looked her in the eyes, “The Pretender.”

Lilith’s scream of rage tore through the room. She launched herself at the Eye only to be held back by Chrome and Aloysius.

“DO YOU THINK I LIKED THAT?!” the Eye boomed, its voice made any and all commotion stopped. Its voice was dripping with rage and hatred but not aimed at anyone in the room, “YOU THINK I ENJOYED WATCHING THEM BOTH DIE OVER AND OVER AGAIN!? HUH! YOU THINK I LIKED TRYING TO FIX THE FUCKING WORLd?!”,  
The Eye pounded its chest, “I HAD THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD ON MY SHOULDERS, AND I WAS DOING MY BEST TO FIX THIS SHIT HOLE OF A PLANET BUT I COULDN’T IF YOU KEPT FUCKING IT ALL UP!”  
The Eye collapsed in its chair, “I had to do so many things that I don’t regret anymore. You saw what I did to the guests? If I were younger, I would’ve never even thought of it. But I got so desensitized to this hell. That killing and making monsters was just second nature.”  
The Eyelet out a sob but covered its mouth quickly, “I got so sick of it all. I finally realized that this world is nothing but filth. I can’t fix it. And I was just ready to give up.”  
“But then,” The Eye gestured at Lilith, “The Broadcaster caught you and turned you into a monster, Chrome saved you, and then you let him fall.” The Eye laughed, “And then you ATE the Lady.” He pointed at Aloysius, “And then you served the Lady.”  
The room grew tense. Even Alice decided to try to hide in a drawer, “And that’s when I realized things were perfect.” The Eye smiled as a tear rolled down its cheek, “I made Chrome’s life as comfortable as I could, but I fucked that up too.”  
It looked at Chrome, “I’m sorry. I was a shit caretaker.”, it turned to Aloysius, “I’m sorry to you too. I shouldn’t have chained you here,” It glanced at Lilith, “And I shouldn’t you lose everyone again and again.”  
The Eye sighed shakily, “It just worked, the Tower stayed strong, the loop kept everyone alive, and the Wind stayed in the North. At first, I looked for a different way to fix it all, but “The Eye sucked in a breath, “I couldn’t find one. So I just kept it as it was.”  
The eye shook its head again, “Some loops were different but only slightly, “There was one very close to this one. You were all happy, and I almost wanted to break it.”  
The Eye shook, “But I couldn’t because I was afraid, and so I just killed you both and started it again.”

The room was silent. The revelation had caused Aloysius to leave the room and Lilith to start breaking into tears. However difficult it was, Chrome remained stone face, but even he was in danger of crying uncontrollably.

“Is that what you’re planning on doing again.”  
The Eye looked up at Chrome, expecting to see rage or hatred radiate through his eyes. He saw nothing except sorrow. The eye stared into Chrome’s eyes. A broken man to a shattered monster.

“No,” The Eye said, “Not again.”  
“Then break the loop,” challenged Chrome.  
“I can’t.”  
“Why not?”  
The Eye sobbed again, “Because although the burst of energy would cause the Wind to stay in a bubble for a year at most,” The Eye closed its eyes, “If I were to destroy the loop now, I run the risk of destroying the world.”  
Chrome stared at the Eye.  
“So many cycles would have to combine into one. So many different versions of everyone colliding and trying to mesh together, there’s a chance that the world might not get destroyed, but because of all the loops...”

The Eye started to laugh, but tears streamed down its face. It grabbed its hair and resisted the urge to tear it all out. Chrome stared at the wall, finally letting a few tears stray free. Aloysius walked back into the room and picked up Alice carefully.

“Let me tell you something now,” said the Eye while it wept bitterly, “I loved the Father very much. And he left me. I was just like you two. I thought love could conquer all.” 

The Eye’s smile turned from sad to manic, “But Love is a lie.”

The Eye left after that, and it left the four of them in the room. Lilith and Chrome locked hands again. Lilith took off her mask and looked at Chrome’s eyes. Chrome stared back with a blank expression. She gave him a gentle squeeze, and he squeezed back.

“Bullshit?”, Alice said in confusion.  
“This is why I don’t swear.”, muttered Aloysius sadly.

One thing was sure.

Sooner or later, they would have to face the Wind.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Wind smiled, and the girl ran with her sister in her hand. What a lovely game of tag this was. The Wind had her cornered, and the young girl began to whimper in fear.

“Take me but not my sister,” she said in a slight English accent.

The whipping dust and black smoke smiled at the girl. And as she walked toward it with her sister holding her back, she was shown the truth.

There the Wind held a skeleton and made it dance like a puppet on a string. It laughed as it crushed the bones. The girl wailed in agony and rage.

“YOU KILLED HER!” the girl said.  
And as the wind answered, the girl cowered, and the earth seemed to quiver in fear.

_You were the one who failed to protect her_ the Wind responded in a wispy and terrifying voice _Her blood is on your hands_

The girl let out of scream of rage, “I’LL KILL YOU!”

The Wind let out a maniacal laugh. It glared down at the girl as its empty eyes began to bleed.

_I have slaughtered creatures who have destroyed legions of demons, and I have crushed beings who ruled the oceans and could gobble up this world. You are but a flea. Your struggles only serve to entertain me_

The girl screamed in rage and threw a canteen of water at the Wind.

The Wind screamed in rage as the water made contact with one of its many arms. The girl fled towards the harbor, and the North Wind snarled. It glanced at its sizzling arm as the water ate through it like acid.

It tore off its arm from its socket. The Wind waited patiently as bones, muscle, and flesh formed. It slowly turned its head to you.

_Do not think this changes anything. Water alone could not kill me, the Eye itself tried to drown me, and it failed._

The Wind glanced in the direction of where the girl ran.

_Her life means nothing. However, I have grown interested in this Lilith and Chrome._

The North Wind’s smile grew wide.

_A breach of trust is what destroyed them. Old wounds rarely heal that quickly_

The North Wind laughed again.

_Oh, how fragile the human mind can be  
All it takes is a little push.  
And then it just shatters.  
I do love games_

:)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as the stars disappeared  
> the Sun turned black and the moon became red  
> The North Wind howled  
> The Angels are dead  
> You've been forsaken  
> And I, the supreme one awakened  
> And I assure you  
> Hell will reign anew
> 
> :)


	14. Decisions, Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What to do, what to do?
> 
> _What to do indeed._

“Absolutely not.”

The Eye glared at both Chrome and Lilith with an irritated and confused expression. Chrome and Lilith stood there, hands interlocked. Aloysius stood to the side awkwardly. Had they lost their minds?

“Why not,” asked Chrome curiously.  
“Why not? WHY NOT?!” screamed the Eye, “Because if you come with me, the three of you are going to get slaughtered!”  
“And if we don’t come, you’ll be the one dead.” pointed out Aloysius.

Oh, so they had lost their minds.

“Yes,” hissed the Eye, “But unlike you morons, I don’t have anything to lose.”  
“What makes you say that?” asked Chrome.

The Eye gawked at him and glanced at Lilith. Her mask was off, and her expression was blank. The Eye was many things, but he wasn’t a fool, though. He could see the concern in Lilith’s eyes. The Eye glanced at Chrome and gestured towards Lilith.

“What about you two!?”, exclaimed the Eye, “Surely that means something!”  
“We mean the world to each other,” growled Lilith, her expression growing dark, “It’s just…”  
She didn’t finish. Chrome squeezed her hand and continued, “If you’re not going to break the loop, then we will simply be killed by our younger selves or live with the guilt of killing ourselves as children.”  
The Eye made an attempt at an argument but closed its mouth. They certainly had a point. The Eye felt something it hadn’t felt in a while. Remorse? Guilt perhaps?

“Besides”, Chrome resumed, “If we die, the loop will start again, and you’ll have more time to figure out what happened to the Tower.”

The Eye stared at the unlikely trio. The logic was sound, but the tone was strained. Obviously, they did care about dying and resetting the cycle once more. But what choice did they have? The Eye swore silently. It shouldn’t have come to this.

“My answer remains the same.”, the Eye snarled, “You’re not coming with me.”  
“And what will happen if you die?”

The retort made the Eye recoil slightly. What would happen? Would the loop reset? Would there be a new loop in place where the Eye is replaced by a human? Would the loop break down and destroy the planet?

Or would it simply just leave the Earth to the North Wind, leaving no one to stand in its way.

The Eye shuddered as it imagined the hundreds of people who would be slaughtered. The screaming of children almost echoed in its mind as the Eye’s pupils dilated in fear. The Eye shook its head, now was not the time for an existential crisis.

The Eye turned to the trio, “Even if I do find a way, there’s a chance that this might never happen again.”

He looked at Chrome and Lilith, “There’s a chance you two might never reconcile or even meet.” 

He glanced at Aloysius, “And there’s a chance that some people might not exist anymore.”

The expression of sadness that Aloysius’s face had shifted into proved to the Eye that he had caught the implication. Aloysius grabbed his wrist. Chrome and Lilith both stared at each other. The way they looked at each other, one could assume that they were having a conversation without even making a sound. The Eye sighed.

“Is that really a risk you all want to take?”

The three of them stood there in silence. Aloysius stepped towards the Eye and put a hand on its shoulder.

“Let the record show that I hate your fucking guts.”, muttered Aloysius  
The Eye shrugged and cracked a sad smile, “That’s fair.”  
“I’ll go say my goodbyes.” Aloysius stalked off.

The Eye turned back to Chrome and Lilith. The look they both gave it said it all. They were willing to give up their happiness if it meant the safety of everyone else. An image flashed before the Eye’s mind.

They were still standing there, but they were smaller. Chrome no longer wore a suit but a little trench coat and a paper bag on his head. Lilith wore a bright yellow raincoat. Their sad expressions bore into the Eye’s very soul.

The Eye felt a sour expression creep onto its face. They were children. They were both fucking children who only deserved to be happy. Children who were willing to sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of thousands of people they didn’t know. That wasn’t their job.

The Eye already witnessed an event like this once.

“Go say your goodbyes,” the Eye mumbled as it was reminded of the painful event. It then turned and boarded the ship that the refugees arrived on.

If the loop was reset and the cycle started again. The Eye swore it would find a way to contain the North Wind.

And then the Eye was going to kill it.

As the Eye entered the ship and stood on the deck, it was faced with what could’ve been a bloody corpse. The Eye looked once again and noticed the little girl holding the corpse’s hand. The Eye smiled numbly.

“And here I thought you two left with him.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aloysius stared at Alice as she scribbled on what once was a blank piece of paper. Aloysius had found out that Alice would find pieces of chalk or something sharp enough to cut into the wood, and then she would try to make something out of it. The little girl hummed as she drew a picture with crayons that were larger than her.

Aloysius kneeled down, and the girl jumped. Alice relaxed as she realized it was Aloysius. Alice waved at him excitedly and looked back down at the paper. She scribbled frantically now. Aloysius sighed.

“Alice, I’m going to go soon.”  
She looked up briefly, “Yes.”

Aloysius sighed. He told himself it’d be easier to say goodbye as she wouldn’t know what he was saying. Somehow this was harder.

“I understand that you have no idea what I’m saying,” Aloysius continued, “But I would never forgive myself if I just left you here without a word-”  
“Look!”

Aloysius was interrupted but he didn’t mind. Alice lifted up the paper with some difficulty and showed him the picture she drew.

It was a picture of her and Aloysius holding hands. They were both smiling in the picture. Alice seemed larger than she actually was, but she was only five. There was a green scribble along the bottom and a yellow circle peeking out of the top right corner. There were comically large flowers dotted on the paper, but Aloysius barely noticed those.

He was still stuck on the drawing of them both. They looked so happy. Alice seemed so happy.

Aloysius felt his heart squeeze. He covered his face with his hand in an attempt to hide the sadness he felt. Aloysius couldn’t leave her like this. As far as she knew, he was just going for a trip and was guaranteed to return. Aloysius looked at the other drawings strewn about. Each of them had different members of the staff interacting.

One had the twin chefs cooking a new meal made of real meat. Another had Roger tucking Alice into bed. One even had Chrome and Lilith holding hands with her. The Ferryman appeared every few drawings. He was always teaching her how to fish in that picture. The Granny appeared in one as a sort of intimidating yet friendly monster who baked wet cookies.

Aloysius laughed at that one.

Even the Eye appeared a few times. One of the drawings had the Eye covered in a red substance and holding the corpse of a fat pink monster. No doubt one of the guests. Another had the Eye giving Alice her new dress and boots. One thing was similar in these drawings.

They were all always smiling.

Aloysius looked across the scattered papers and noticed something off. All of the drawings had color, but only this one had black in it. He reached for it, but Alice ran over to it and covered it with her body. She looked scared of letting him see that one.

“Alice.”, he said in a kind yet stern voice.

Alice pouted but slowly gave him the drawing. Aloysius mumbled a thank you and looked down at the peculiar drawing. Aloysius’s eyes widened, and he dropped the picture in shock. The drawing fluttered and landed on the floor face up.

On it was a detailed black scrawl. It wore a large and unsettling grin, three bleeding eyes, and its ribcage snapped open, showing that the creature had no heart or lungs. The drawing was incredibly detailed, even for a five-year-old. That wasn’t what unsettled Aloysius.

What had frightened him the most were the corpses of Chrome, Lilith, and the Eye that surrounded it. Along with a girl that Aloysius did not recognize.

Alice waved frantically in an attempt to calm him down and showed him two more drawings. Aloysius shakingly took them. The four of them were there once again. This time none of them were dead, but they were all frowning. They were all running.

The North Wind was on the other side of the page, but it was covered in white and gold spots this time. Alice was with them as well. The Wind looked to be screaming and chasing after them.

The Second drawing had two images on it. A glowing blue circle that was intact. The second image had the same circle, but it was broken.

Aloysius put the strange drawings down and picked up Alice, “Why would you draw such a horrific thing!?” he yelled in a shaking voice.

Alice looked at him with wide-eyed fear. Aloysius sighed and put her down. His mind shifted back to the problem at hand. He had yet to figure out a way to tell Alice why he was leaving. Then an idea struck Aloysius.

He picked up a pencil and began to draw a picture. Alice looked at him curiously and tried to peer at what he was drawing. When she couldn’t see, Alice pouted and stomped her foot on the floor.

Aloysius chuckled, which reminded him of Lilith when she was little.

Aloysius finished the drawing and handed it back to Alice. He let her look at the picture for a while. As Alice stared at the picture, her expression changed from curiosity to sadness. She looked up at him with wide eyes, and they slowly filled with tears. Alice sobbed and dropped the paper. She ran towards him and grabbed at his Red coat.

Alice pulled and grabbed as she cried, almost as if she were trying to drag him with her. Aloysius sighed. All he had drawn was him, Chrome, the Eye, and Lilith going toe to toe the North Wind.

There were no smiles in that picture.

He picked up Alice and hugged her gently. Her tiny fists beat against his chest before she finally stopped and simply grabbed at the fabric of his uniform. Her sobs echoed throughout her empty room. Unbeknownst to either of them, Aloysius’ tears fell on the drawing with the North Wind standing victorious over the corpses of his friends.

They never noticed how the tear had made the smile on the North Wind grow wider.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilith looked at the staff of the Maw with tears in her eyes and sorrow in her heart. Chrome allowed her to say her goodbyes first.

She said goodbye to Dopey. Who’s kind-hearted nature and delicious food would always bring a smile to her face and a filling feeling in her stomach. His optimism had a lasting effect on Lilith. As she embraced him, she felt him finally release the tears he was trying so desperately to hold in.

She said goodbye to Grumpy/ He was sour to her initially, but his tough exterior had broken down soon enough. He treated her well. Whenever she felt sad, he would always give her an ambitious speech about how all the stars and all the elements came together at the perfect time to create Lilith.

Lilith said farewell to the Ferryman and the Granny. Granny was always giving her sweets in secret. Once Lilith had gotten over her fear of her, she would sit and listen, and the Granny told her stories of the wars she fought in and the challenges she faced. The Ferryman rarely spoke, but the moments of silence and solidarity were always remembered by Lilith. She would miss them both.

And finally, she went to Roger, she crouched and said her goodbyes as well. Roger, who had taken care of her just as well as Aloysius. Roger who had steered her in the right direction. The rock in which Lilith and the entire Maw could not stand without.

There were no words in these exchanges, and yet the hugs and tears revealed everything. Lilith stood by Chrome and motioned to the staff as she wiped the tears in her eyes.

Chrome stepped forward and cleared his throat, “I know we haven’t spent much time together, but you’re company meant everything to me. I hope I never forget my experiences.”  
He looked up at the staff, “I will never forget the first group of friends I ever had.”

Chrome stepped back and fixated on an empty space, blinking back tears. Aloysius shuffled in quietly, carrying a sniveling Alice. He dropped her in Dopey’s hands and whispered something to the twins. They nodded, and as Aloysius approached Lilith and Chrome, he turned.

“I have never seen a crew more fit for the end of the world,” he said confidently, “It had been an honor serving alongside you, my friends and colleagues.”

“Ah, cut the bullshit candle, man.” grumbled Roger loudly, “You too, ya static twig. Git over here.”

The staff rushed the two stoic men and nearly suffocated them in a group hug. It seemed the exchange had squeezed the sentiment out of them. Both Chrome and Aloysius were embracing multiple staff members at once. When the affair finished, Chrome, Lilith, and Aloysius walked up the ramp and entered the refugee ship.

The Eye turned from staring at an empty space and looked at the three of them, “Last chance to get off the b-”

It was interrupted when Aloysius punched him across the face. The Eye fell back and slowly got up, only to be slapped by Lilith.

“When we die, promise me you’ll keep Alice safe.” snarled Aloysius.  
“The same goes for everyone on the Maw.” continued Lilith in an equally angry voice.

The Eye nodded, not making a single move to check his injury. Lilith and Aloysius walked up towards the captain’s deck, leaving both Chrome and the Eye alone.

“The Wind isn’t going to kill you guys, you know,” the Eye said quietly, “It knows how the loop works.”  
Chrome nodded, “I know.” they stayed silent, then Chrome continued his voice void of any emotion “So who’s going to kill us, you or me?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the staff left to attend to their duties. Dopey and Grumpy went to the kitchen. As they entered, Dopey pat himself down. He looked over to Grumpy, who met his eyes.

“Do you have Alice?”, they said in unison.  
Their eyes widened in panic, they pointed at each other “I thought YOU had her!?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alice hopped out of Chrome’s large pockets unnoticed. She ran quietly, across the room and towards a crate filled with fruits. She nestled her small body inside. Her tattered red dress blended excellently with the bright red strawberries.

She would not let what she had seen happen.

She wouldn’t lose herself or the friends she made.

Not again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An eldritch being, three mortals, and a little girl walk into the territory of the Devil.
> 
> The Devil smiled
> 
> :)


	15. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I have guests_ :)

Chrome woke up to the sound of an old broken-down foghorn. He groaned and rubbed his eyes with his right hand. His entire body felt sore and tired though Chrome wasn't exactly surprised. His left arm was trapped underneath Lilith's sleeping body, growing number by the minute. Chrome looked at Lilith softly, she was mostly covered by the white bedsheets, but her face wore a serene expression.

Chrome smiled softly, the Foghorn went off again. Lilith grumbled and rolled over, stealing the little bit of blanket that Chrome had. He chuckled softly and left the bed to get dressed. No doubt it would take her a while to finally wake up, especially after last night. Chrome felt groggy himself, and he usually woke up at the crack of dawn.

As Chrome grabbed his hat, he noticed something flutter softly in the closet. He approached the closet slowly and yanked the door open. He smiled at the sight he saw before him. It was nothing special, really.

It was just an old, grey trench coat.

Chrome pondered which person this had belonged to and took the coat from its hangar and tried it on. It fit like a glove. He gently tugged on the collar, lifting it up slightly before patting it back down. The Foghorn sounded once again, this time sounding a bit closer. Chrome frowned. Clearly, this meant something.

Chrome walked over to Lilith's sleeping form and kissed her cheek. He shook her gently in a weak attempt to wake her up from her slumber. Lilith grumbled in annoyance and pulled the covers tighter over her body.

"Lilith," he said softly, "Wake up, darling."  
Lilith's eyebrows furrowed, and she swatted at his hand, "Five more minutes." she grumbled.

The Foghorn bellowed again.

"If I don't keep you awake, the Foghorn will." Chrome stated honestly.  
Lilith pulled the covers closer to her body, "S'doesn't mean I can't stay in bed.", she mumbled, her words slurring together.  
Chrome sighed and stood there for a moment.

"I guess we'll have to resolve this like old times."

Lilith immediately fell out of bed and stood up quickly. With one hand, she held the bedsheets around her body, and with the other, she pointed at Chrome threateningly. Her lips were tight, trying to fight back a smile, but her eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Don't you dare. I told you my weakness in confidence.", Lilith said in a low voice.  
Chrome waved his hands in the air, "Where was it again? Your stomach, your neck, or your ribs?", Chrome tapped his chin mockingly, "Wait now I remember-"  
"Don't."  
"It was-"  
"Chrome, I'm begging you, please."  
"All of the above."

Chrome then disappeared and reappeared behind Lilith. He wrapped his hands around her stomach and began to tickle her. He barely even started before she started laughing hysterically.

Lilith fell over and tried escaping, but Chrome simply sat on her back, placing only a small amount of his weight on her so she wouldn't get hurt, but she couldn't get out either. Chrome went for her neck, and she started laughing even harder than before. Chrome smiled. This was precisely how he would wake her up every morning when they were kids.

He stopped tickling her and waited for her to catch her breath. Lilith panted heavily and snickered a few times, but she finally caught her breath after a minute.

"You awake now?" he teased.  
"You know I am, you dork," Lilith said through giggles, "Now get off me so I can get dressed.", she turned her head a little so she could look at his face, "Unless you don't want me dressed." she purred.

Chrome gulped, and his face went red at the implication. Lilith wanted to go again? Chrome wasn't sure he could keep up with her like last night. Then again, he was willing to try.

The Foghorn sounded again, and they both groaned in disappointment.

"Alright, get off me," Lilith said in annoyance, "That stupid blob of flesh better fix everything because I've still got things I want to do."  
"Really?", Chrome replied in a snide tone, "I barely noticed!"

Lilith sat up and smacked him gently upside the head, causing his hat to cover his eyes. Chrome fixed his hat, stood up, and turned around politely while she got dressed. He heard Lilith snort from across the room.

"No need to be polite. We're practically married."

Chrome's heart jumped and sank at the same time. Chrome had nearly forgotten about marriage. Would he ever be able to ask for Lilith's hand again? Chrome already knew that the chances of them escaping were slim, but now he didn't seem so keen on the idea of dying without…

Lilith was right. There were so many things left to do.

Chrome felt two warm hands sneak underneath his arms and rest on his chest. He breathed in deeply, allowing Lilith to feel the rise and fall of his chest. They had a mutual agreement of sorts. As long as Lilith's heart kept beating, he would keep breathing for her.

"I'm sorry," she said gently, "I didn't mean to make you think about what could've been."

Chrome smiled sadly, so little time and yet it seemed as though they knew each other like the back of their hands. Chrome turned around and hugged Lilith back. They stayed there for a while, the Foghorn interrupting their sweet silence every once in a while. Each time sounding closer.

Chrome separated from the hug and wrapped his cold hands around Lilith's face. He leaned down and touched her forehead with his. Chrome's right hand was at an awkward angle, but only so he could feel her pulse.

"Lilith." He whispered softly.  
"Hm?" she murmured.  
"You know I love you."  
Lilith chuckled, "I hope so."  
Chrome felt guilt gnaw at his heart, "So you understand that anything I do, I do it because I love you."  
Chrome felt her forehead crease slightly. Lilith said nothing, but he knew she wanted to bombard him with questions.

"I believe you." she finally answered, "But please try and remember that there's still a chance."  
Chrome scoffed, "Yes, of course. On the off chance that we somehow survive, we can't exactly kill the wind now, can we?"  
Lilith tore away from his face, and her face reflected how hurt she was, "Yeah, but-"  
"Even if we get out of there alive," Chrome continued, feeling his anger rise, " It's just going to keep coming after us. We'll never have a moments peace,"  
"Stop"  
Lilith's pleading fell on deaf ears. The floodgates had opened, "We'll never be satisfied, and let's not even mention the FRIVOLOUS notion of starting a family!"  
"CHROME STOP!"

Chrome obeyed and felt his heart squeeze with guilt again. Lilith was on the verge of tears. Chrome could feel hot tears welling up in his own eyes as well. He squeezed his eyes shut and embraced Lilith again. She squeezed back.

"I'm sorry." he croaked, "I'm just afraid."  
"We all are," she whispered into his chest.

They broke apart and locked eyes. Chrome's eyes seemed sunken and tired, but so did Lilith's. In such a cruel and unforgiving world, they only ever did have each other. Connected only by the red thread of fate.

Chrome felt her lips brush against his, and Lilith leaned in, closing the gap between them both. Just like before, fireworks went off. As their lips brushed against each other, Chrom felt any sorrow or guilt melt away. Lilith's mind could only think of how much she loved him. Lilith could only feel herself melt away in Chrome's arms as the two kissed. The world around them is almost nonexistent.

They both pulled away and stood there for a moment. They stayed there in comfortable silence. Then the Foghorn tore through the silence, and Lilith growled, her anger almost infectious. She grabbed her mask from the bedside table.

"I'm gonna tear whoever's sounding that stupid horn apart."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Eye stared in grimace through the window of the Captain's deck. It hadn't expected the place to look like paradise, but he certainly didn't expect this…

The Eye heard Aloysius heave into a bucket again. It rolled its many eyes. Now or never, it thought to itself.

"Hey, Candle man."  
"What." Aloysius groaned

The Eye handed a photograph to Aloysius. He snatched it out of its hand and looked at the Eye suspiciously. Aloysius looked at the picture, and a fondness returned to his eyes.

The photo was faded and nearly colorless, but even so, Aloysius could see it flawlessly. There he was, an ordinary human being again on his lap sat a little girl wearing boxing gloves that were almost the size of her. Standing next to Aloysius was his wife, who had a gentle smile on her lips and a kind look in her eyes.

Aloysius put the bucket down and help the photograph with both hands, "Where did you get this?"  
The Eye pointed to its two eyes, "I see everything, and I can basically get anything I want," it rubbed the back of its neck, "Don't make it weird, man I just thought since the loop might reset-"  
"I don't remember the last time I saw those gloves."

The Eye looked at Aloysius. His eyes had faded from fond to sad once again.

"My obsession with what I considered my life's passion had driven them away," he continued sadly, "I was never there. I couldn't even make it to her birthday."

The Eye looked at him, confused and slightly scared. The Eye had no idea what it was going to do if he started crying.

"But you supported them, right?!" the Eye said exasperatedly.

Aloysius clicked his tongue, "Yes, but you need to be there for your family! Supporting them isn't enough. You have to love them," he glanced down at the photo, "Cherish them."

Aloysius pinched the bridge of his nose, "If only I had been there, then maybe...Maybe they'd still be here."

The Eye sighed, "I saw perfectly well what happened, and if you hadn't separated, you'd all be dead." the Eye paused, "We shouldn't stick to the past. It only hurts us more. Learn from our mistakes definitely but not dwell on them."

The Eye punched Aloysius' arm playfully, "Besides, if you weren't a boxer, your punch probably wouldn't have even hurt me! My nose is STILL bruised from the time you punched me in the hospital."

Aloysius chuckled then grew silent once more, "There is something after death, right?"  
The Eye blew air out from its lips, "Aw geez, we gotta get philosophical here?"  
Aloysius shrugged, "I'd like to know if I'm going to be facing oblivion like I used to believe.", he faced the Eye, "Which one was right?"

The Eye laughed, "Oh, they were all right in their own ways. They were right when they said, "There's no compulsion in religion," they were right when they said, "Love thy neighbor" and "You shall not murder, steal or commit adultery."

The Eye rolled its eyes, "They were right about karma though, I wouldn't exactly call myself or the other Eldritch beings' Gods'. They were right about us too." The Eye felt its heart squeeze, "They were right when they said that a man died for the world to be safe from suffering."

Aloysius stared at the Eye curiously, "Did you know him?"  
The Eye laughed dryly, "Of course I knew him. He was my only friend."  
Aloysius stared at him dumbfounded. The Eye waved it off, "I'd tell you more, but we don't have time to unpack all of that."

Aloysius nodded, dropping the subject, "So is there more than one afterlife?"  
The nodded Eye back and held up two fingers, "One is the good place where most people end up, and the second one is where the North Wind was gonna go-"  
"Was?"  
"Well, there's no more God to enforce now, is there," The Eye snarled.

Aloysius paled, "The North Wind killed God?"  
"What?! NO! The Father, as I like to call him, promptly fucked off for no reason and left me. Along, Every other eldritch being to fend off the Wind who we soon found out was HELLBENT on turning this world into smithereens."

Aloysius had more questions, so many more. Still, he decided to ask just one last one, "What happened to the other Eldritch beings?"

The Eye stared him dead in the eyes. It smiled, but that smile carried no emotion "...Smithereens."

Aloysius nodded sadly and looked out the window. He gagged and grabbed the bucket again.

"Every single time I look-"  
"Yep. And it'll smell even worse-"  
"DON'T MENTION THE SMELL!"

The door to the Captain's deck burst open. Lilith stormed in with Chrome walking silently behind her.

"Who the hell keeps sounding the Foghorn…" her voice trailed off as she stared out the window in shock.

 _Oh right,_ thought the Eye, _You’re all here too, brace yourself_

It looked at the window and stared blankly at the harbor.

The entire island seemed as if it were smoking. Some parts of it were still on fire. Entire buildings and small villages were leveled, and along the beach and the pier were pikes. And on those pikes, corpses.

Most of the corpses were simply skeletons being hanged on the pike, but those on the pier where they were landing still had their flesh. They had been impaled, the pole running right through the body. The way they were positioned made the Eye shudder.

_I'm sure you don't want to know, so I'll just say this. The pike goes tight out the mouth._

The corpses were now rotting, but nothing seemed to be trying to eat it, no visible fly swarms or vultures. The island didn't even have a patch of green on it. The island was utterly dead.

The Foghorn rang out once more, and the Eye reluctantly looked to the side. It heard both Lilith and Chrome gasp, and it could tell that Aloysius didn't even look.

There coiled around the Lighthouse was a black, wispy shadow. It showed off its upper body freely. Displaying its rib cage that jutted outward, showing off its insides freely. No heart or lungs. Just a stomach and a few intestines.

There was a joke there somewhere.

It stared at the Eye with its empty black, bleeding sockets. And It slowly held up a hand. In hand was a girl who had been tied up but was kicking and screaming. On her torso was a sign that could be read even from the boat. The Foghorn sounded again. The Eye felt a thought-form in the back of its mind, something about hostages, but it only stared at the sign as the Eye felt its courage disappear.

**Eye for an Eye**

The Eye gulped.

The North Wind smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this where it all unfolds.
> 
> Not that it matters
> 
> The Ending is always the same
> 
> I'm sorry


	16. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have we reached the End?

Alice felt the boat land on the pier. She huffed and grabbed the needle she had found two days ago. She stuffed a few berries into her purse and started to run through the hallways. Alice heard the shuffling of feet and ducked behind a door.

She peered out the corner and saw the pretty lady, the tall man, the man with lots of eyes, and the nice man in red. Alice waited as they silently walked down the corridor and ran after them. Her little legs barely keep up with their long strides.

Alice saw them stop and looked around quickly for a place to hide. She hid in a small hole most likely made for a large rat. Alice felt fear coil around her heart. She gripped the needle in comfort. Good thing Alice brought it. Alice watched as she heard a strange mechanical sound. She observed the wall that the four adults had been facing fell outward slowly, like the door of those castles that the man in red would show her.

As they walked out of the ramp, Alice followed in suit. She covered her eyes as Alce was met with sunlight for the first time in a while. Maybe three or four days max. She scraped the bottom of her shoes against the slightly burnt wood of the pier. The smell of rot and brunt flesh filled Alice’s nose. She didn’t pay any attention to the smell or the horrific sight of fresh rotting corpses.

Children like Alice rarely forget their nightmares.

Alice felt a gust of wind and began to run towards the adults. She hid behind cover every once in a while to make sure they didn’t find her. She would keep her nightmares from coming true.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilith felt a chill run down her spine.

Another gust of wind blew through the group. Nearly sending Chrome’s hat flying more than once. Needless to say, Chrome was gripping to his hat like his life depended on it.

Lilith grimaced behind her mask. She could feel the North Wind’s presence, recognize it. Even if Lilith had never met it or seen it, for that matter. She could feel the daggers of fear that stabbed at her soul. Yet somehow, the presence felt familiar.

Lilith’s hand searched for Chrome’s hand and found it. Their hands intertwined, and she gave his hand a squeeze. It had become a form of comfort. Even during the years where Chrome was trapped, Lilith would search for him. Force of habit, she supposed.

The Eye looked incredibly pale. It had been sweating so much that its shirt seemed like the Eye had gone for a swim. The Eye was counting, tracing over its tattoos as if it had lost one. The Eye would flinch at any sudden movement, and it looked like it almost had a heart attack when a building crumbled to the ground.

After careful speculation, it seemed that the building had fallen by itself.

But the Eye remained skeptical and paranoid.

Lilith didn’t blame the Eye for its fear. She could feel her own paranoia try and take control over her body and mind. Her instincts screamed at her to run. Or kill something, but even they seemed confused on who or what to kill. Chrome was squeezing her hand a bit too tightly, but he said nothing. He had the same look on his face when they had reunited.

He looked like he was on the verge of insanity.

Aloysius tried to keep cool, calm, and collected, but the facade was breaking. His fists were clenching and unclenching. Lilith could see his jaw clench as he ground his teeth.

“My lady,” Aloysius said through clenched teeth.

“Yeah?” Lilith responded quickly.

“If we leave,” he said carefully, “I want to get paid.”

Lilith chuckled slightly even the Eye cracked a smile, “Well, good thing it’s an, if huh?”

“I’m serious, Lilith,” he retorted in a playful tone, “I COULD start a union with the other staff members. We could overtake the Maw.”

The Eye snickered, and Chrome let go of Lilith’s hand to cover his mouth.

“So it’s treason then?” Lilith teased.

“Actually, it’s a coup.”

“What would you even do with money?!” Lilith exclaimed through giggles, “It’s the apocalypse! You can’t exactly get anything better than what you have now!”

Aloysius tapped his chin, “Well, I’ve thought about two things. Ever since childhood, I have always wanted a small rubber duck.”

The Eye’s mouth was now a thin line as its shoulders shook, Lilith was biting back laughter. Chrome did nothing to hide his amusement as he chuckled a bit louder.

“And a nice, small, pink apron for when I cook with the chefs.”

The Eye snorted and began cackling. Lilith roared with laughter, and Chrome wheezed so hard he nearly fell over. The image of ever-so stoic Aloysius in a bright pink apron that was two sizes too small for him had done them all in. Aloysius chuckled a bit at their reactions.

As the group caught their breath, the fear and paranoia they had been feeling had reduced slightly. That is until the Eye, who was hunched over letting out a few more snickers, immediately shut up and outstretched his arms.

The wind had picked up.

“It’s here,” the Eye said in a meek voice.

Chrome’s eyes crackled and glowed an electric blue. Lilith’s eyes had darkened until they almost seemed empty. Aloysius picked up a metal rod from the ground and held it like a sword. The Eye’s fingertips stretched and distorted into claws.

“Remind me to give you back your ‘gift’ when I get the chance,” muttered the Eye  
“It’s a bit too late now, I’m afraid,” replied Aloysius.

The wood of the pier began to shake, the rubble started to groan and creak. The planks started to rise and fall hypnotically. Almost like the keys of a piano. A circle formed around them as the planks detached and rose higher and higher into the sky, never ceasing their hypnotic movement. Then it all collapsed back into the pier.

...

Silence.

The group relaxed slightly. Perhaps it was merely a ruse.

Then, several yards away, a burst of wind, shadow, and death burst from the ground.

The group was nearly lifted off their feet at the sudden burst of wind, despite the distance. They braced themselves and stayed close to the ground. The smoke and shadow rose into the sky, coiling around each other, almost like a hurricane. The tornado began to calm itself as it finally began to take shape.

The North Wind smiled. Its rows of yellow, jagged teeth clicked. Its empty eyes bore holes into each and every one of them. The open sockets poured out blood like a fountain. More than once, the blood from its eyes would stain its teeth. The North Winds ribs quivered, and its stomach shivered as it grumbled.

The Wind seemed hungry.

The Wind bent down as its arms snapped at unnatural angles and dragged along the ground. The motion was unnecessary; it could definitely fly, Lilith thought. She noticed that Chrome had staggered back in fear, and Aloysius had fallen backward. The Eye gulped, and it went even paler.

Lilith was afraid. Of course, she was. But then why not like the others. She was scared of the wind like one would be scared of spiders. Frightened yet also not...Why did it feel familiar?

The Wind approached them slowly. As its hands raked across the floor, it would bring down buildings that were still standing. The North Winds arms would sometimes snap to reach for something, almost as if it were too lazy to simply roll its shoulder.

It was breaking its bones on purpose.

After what seemed like ages, the cracking of bones and the grumbling of the Winds stomach stopped, and silence filled the air. The Wind stopped inches away from the Eye’s face. Its large teeth occasionally clicked to make sure the Eye was aware of its presence.

_**Well, hello there, old friend! It’s been so long. Tell me, are you pale?**_

It spoke through the wind in the air. The voice was wispy, yet it brought no comfort like the average wind. It made the hair on Lilith’s neck stand on end and caused her instincts to scream even louder to run away. Lilith doubted she could move if she wanted to.

_**I can’t exactly tell. A little bitch tore out my eyes a few years back**_ it said in a voice that dripped with venom _**I’ve been looking for it for ages now, I still have yet to return the favor!**_

The Eye looked away from the Wind’s teeth. It said nothing.

_**Oh thats right!**_ The Wind said cheerfully, its voice then crept into a low, rumbling, growl _**It was you.**_

The Eye continued to remain silent, and the Wind howled with laughter.

_**Oh, you’re so pathetic. Here you are in front of me again trying to challenge me like last time.**_ The Wind rolled its head back dramatically _**Oh, you pathetic lonely little worm.**_

“He’s not alone,” Chrome snarled.

The North Wind’s head snapped toward him instantly, Chrome flinched and looked down.

Even without eyes, it was painfully apparent that if the Wind had some, it would be rolling them.

_**Oh no, _ **the Wind said sarcastically**_ The Eye is joined by an orphan who killed his own parents, a girl who’s parents never even loved her and a man who’s responsible for the death of his family.**_ It put the back of its hand against the top of its head and leaned _**Whatever shall I do?!**_

Each comment stung, Lilith flinched back and held her arm in an attempt to console herself. Chrome had shrunk back immensely, and Aloysius looked ready to launch himself at the North Wind.

“Oi, meathead!” the Eye snarled.

The North Wind slowly turned to look back at the Eye, _**I beg your pardon?**_

“Then beg, bitch.” the Eye growled angrily, “Your beef is with me.”

_**My “beef” is with every creature on this planet who hasn’t sworn their allegiance to me**_  
The North Wind waved a hand, gesturing to all of them _**You all happen to pertain to that group.**_

The Eye snorted and crossed its arms in false confidence, “I think you’re just jealous.”

The North Wind’s left eye socket twitched, _**Why, pray tell, would a wolf be jealous of four sheep and a DOG**_

The Eye shrugged, “Maybe because the sheep and the dog are owned by a shepherd who had a big house and lots of food, and the Wolf’s a jealous prick who cries about how poor and hungry it is like a little bitch.”

The North Wind lunged forward and growled, its mouth salivating. 

The Eye continued with a deadpan look, “And what pisses it off, even more, is that it used to be fed well. And the shepherd would let it romp around before the wolf decided to bite off more than it could chew.”

The North wind tilted its head and gurgled menacingly. The sound it made sounded like it was hissing and growling at the same time. It’s body shook as it chuckled angrily.

_**You know your snide remarks remind me of a particular spirit you seemed to like a lot.** _

The Eye’s smile dropped, and a wave of anger flashed across its eyes. Aloysius backed away from the two titans slowly. No doubt something was going to happen.

The North Wind tapped its chin _**You know when she wasn’t counting plates, she was actually quite an angry and formidable opponent.**_

The Wind tilted its head so that its empty eyes were staring down at the Eye _**You wanna know what REALLY set her off**_

The Eye bore holes into the North Wind’s eyes. The North Wind’s smile somehow grew wider. Lilith reached for the Eye, but the curling of the Wind’s hand warned her to back off.

_**It was when I said that I killed you** _

The Eye’s shoulders sagged, and hurt reflected on his face. The Eye looked about, ready to cry. Chrome reached for the Eye.

“It’s lying to you,” he said. “It’s just trying to get under your skin-”

A jagged steel rod pierced Chrome’s abdomen before he could finish his sentence. He yelled in agony. Both Aloysius and Lilith rushed to his side immediately. The Eye turned and took a step toward Chrome.

_**Actually, this is one of the few times where I’m being completely honest!**_ The Eye froze and turned back to look at the Wind. _**What was her name, I think it was**_

The Eye’s expression went dark as it stared at The North Wind’s e,pty eyes.

_**Okiku** _

The Eye’s right arm expanded into a blob of flesh and eyes, “ **GET HER NAME OUT OF HER MOUTH YOU FILTHY LITTLE-** ”, 

The Eye stopped and took a deep breath. The blob of flesh slowly morphing back into an arm covered in tattoos. It smiled and let out a chortle. It wagged a finger at the North Wind.

“I know what you’re doing”  
_**Do tell**_  
The Eye clicked its tongue, “You’re trying to piss me off. Because you’re scared that if you start a fight, you might bring him back”

The North Wind gurgled, and its smile dropped completely, _**If you’re not careful, the next words out of your mouth might be your last**_

“Pfft,” the Eye scoffed, “You wouldn’t risk it, you coward.”

_**Maybe not but I could kill your companions.**_ The North Wind growled _**Even if it resets the damned loop, It’d be worth watching your expression as the life fades out of their four pairs of eyes.**_

“You wouldn’t-” The Eye stopped and he wore a confused expression, “Are you serious?”  
_**What?**_  
“Can you STILL not count?”  
_**What are you talking there's four of them.**_

The eye pinched the bridge of its nose, “In case it wasn’t obvious I’m not human!”  
The Wind was getting increasingly irritated _**I KNOW you’re not human! I’m SAYING there’s four humans! Three adults one kid!**_

“Oh my god,” the Eye mumbled as it turned to Chrome, Lilith, and Aloysius, “Hey guys did you bring a kid?”  
Lilith glared at the Eye, “NO WE DIDN’T BRING A KID! CHROME IS BLEEDING OUT!”  
The Eye waved its arms, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to it.” It turned to the Wind, “Are you stupid?”

The North Wind closed its eye sockets and held its front arms up in surrender _**In all honesty, it could’ve been a rat!**_

“No shit Sherlock. As if a kid would just stow away on our ship…” the Eye’s voice trailed off as its eyes landed on Alice hiding amongst the rubble. Her head ducked down, and The North Wind raised a socket and turned to look.

_**What’re you staring at?** _

The Eye panicked, “Uh, I THINK YOU LOOK LIKE A GOOSE PENIS”

The North Wind whipped its head around and snarled _**What the FUCK did you just say to me!?**_

The Eye turned around and looked at Aloysius with a very panicked expression, “Hey Wax man, I think a rat snuck unto our ship!”

Aloysius stared at him strangely, “...Okay?”  
“Yeah,” The Eye nodded with a forced smile, “D’you ever think about how weird the world must be through the eyes of a rat. It must be like WONDERLAND.”

At first, Lilith, Aloysius, and a very pale Chrome looked at him as if he were eating cat poop with reckless abandon. Then Chrome’s eyes widened, and Lilith slapped a hand over her mouth. It took Aloysius a moment to realize the implication.

Then his eyes widened as the realization hit him like a train. Then Aloysius simply said one thing. 

“Fuck”  
“I KNOOOOW RIGHT!” The Eye chuckled nervously to cover up their reaction, “Trippy, right!?”  
The North Wind looked at them hopelessly confused, it gestured toward them with a finger _**What is happening right now.**_

“ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, YA LOOK LIKE HORSE PISS!” The Eye insulted the Wind again, hoping to distract it.

It nearly worked. The North Wind growled, but then it straightened up, and a smile returned to its lips.

_**Oh, clever very clever** _

The North Wind’s hand shot out and grabbed Alice. She screamed as he dragged her across the floor towards him. A motion that was unnecessary and only served to scrape a large part of her arm. Aloysius screamed in rage and lunged towards the North Wind. The Eye held him back.

“Don’t,” it said softly.  
_**Go on then!**_ The Wind snarled as it held up Alice in the air _**Give me a good reason to crush her fragile little body.**_  
“Let her go.”

The North Wind turned to Chrome and let out a scream. Chrome was holding Lilith in a chokehold with one arm, and with the other, he had a jagged piece of glass to his throat.

“Let her go, or I’ll rest the loop.”, Chrome said in a low, menacing tone.  
“Chrome-” Lilith started.  
“I’m sorry, if it wasn’t me, it was gonna be the Eye.” Chrome didn’t meet her gaze, “Please understand.”

The North Wind stared at them for a moment before a realization struck it. It started to laugh maniacally. 

_**IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU RESET THE LOOP**_ The North Wind said through fits of laughter _**SHE’LL DIE EITHER WAY**_

Chrome looked at the Eye in desperation. The Eye scanned the ground, and Chrome’s fears were confirmed. The Eye looked at Chrome in defeat. The Wind howled with laughter.

“How did she die!?” spluttered Aloysius

The North Wind wiped the blood from its eyes while Alice cried and struggled in its grasp, _**It’s almost ironic! she died to a big rat.**_

Chrome let go of Lilith and dropped the shard of glass. He stared down at the ground, defeated and ashamed.

Lilith rubbed her throat, “What do you want?” she spat.

The North Wind looked at her for a moment and then rubbed its chin. It was definitely thinking about it.

_**Well, I was just going to make you watch as I kill little “Alice” and then kill all of you. But now that I think about it**_ The North Wind smiled and stared at Lilith _**I have two more hostages, and I think we should all play a game.**_

The Eye was about to protest, but Lilith interrupted it, “Deal.”

_**Rules are simple, follow my instruction to the letter, and if I win, I kill all of you with no complaints. If you win-** _

The Eye glared at Lilith, “Don’t-”  
Lilith ignored it “We take Alcie home, and you leave the world alone for a month.”

_**Then it's settled** _

Then the North Wind dissolved into smoke, ash, and shadow as it surrounded the group. The last thing Lilith heard before she passed out was Alice’s terrified screams. The last thing she saw was the North Wind’s three eye sockets staring down at her.

The Wind smiled.

Lilith felt her stomach growl and a pit form in her abdomen.

So that’s why it felt familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Something different!_  
>  **Something new!**  
>  _This is it! My other, This wasn't a lost cause!_  
>  **It must know about us! it must be a trap, my other! DESTROY THE STORY**
> 
> Calm yourselves, Whether this development is good or bad only time will tell. But there is only one thing we are sure of. One thing that gives us hope
> 
> _Something is different_  
>  **Something is different**  
>  Something is different


	17. Let's play a Game :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you want to play a game?
> 
> You don't have a choice
> 
> :)

Aloysius awoke with a start. He sat up quickly and looked around. Lilith and Chrome seemed to still be asleep, and the Eye was pacing back and forth. They were all trapped in an empty white room. It almost looked like it had no walls. The Eye whipped its head towards Aloysius and scowled.

“Good you’re awake. Go wake up the other two.”  
“What happened.”, Aloysius asked groggily.  
The Eye scoffed, “We’re about to play a little game.”

The Eye looked in no mood to talk. Aloysius crawled over to Lilith and Chrome and tried shaking them awake. Lilith woke up with a start much like him. Chrome, however, took much longer. His trenchcoat seemed drenched with blood, but he no longer had a large metal pole stuck in his side. Lilith immediately crawled over to Chrome.

“There’s so much.” she said in fear.  
“I staunch the bleeding the second I woke up.” The Eye muttered, “Don’t know how long it’s been, so he might’ve lost a lot of blood. He’s still breathing.”

Chrome groaned and slowly put a hand on his forehead. He looked drained. Chrome started feeling around for something. He wrapped a hand around Lilith’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered hoarsely.  
“It’s okay,” Lilith said quickly, “I understand what you had to do.”

Chrome stood up, but that action alone seemed to cause him too much strain. The Eye seemed focused on something else to care though. Lilith tried keeping Chrome down, but he was stubborn as always. The second he got on his feet, he nearly keeled over.

Lilith caught him quickly and warped his arm around his shoulder. Chrome shifted all his weight on Lilith, feeling slightly guilty, but Lilith’s strength was more than enough to carry him. Aloysius looked around the empty room. Grabbing the bloody metal rod that had been initially impaled in Chrome’s body.

A creak was heard, and the group scanned the area quickly, looking for the sound. The ceiling opened up like a trapdoor, and the girl who had a sign on her torso and looked only slightly shorter than Lilith and a man fell into the room.

Aloysius broke out of his shock faster than the others and went to check them for injuries. The girl seemed conscious, but her mouth was stitched shut with a wispy black substance, she was whimpering, and tears were flowing down her cheeks. On her torso was a nametag that seemed to have her name written in blood.

_Hello my name is Claeg :)_

As Aloysius checked the girl for other injuries, the man started to wake up. He looked around the room groggily. Aloysius paid him no attention. He seemed fine. Claeg (if that was her real name) appeared in a lot of pain. Perhaps there was a way Aloysius could take out the stitches without hurting her.

Aloysius felt the wind get knocked out of him as he got tackled by the man. The Eye quickly ripped the man off of Aloysius and threw him to the side of the room.

“Get away from my daughter, you FREAKS!” the man snarled, struggling to his feet.  
The Eye rolled its many eyes, “You mortals always try to pick fights you won’t win. We’re in the same boat, pal.” the Eye gestured to Aloysius, “The Melted Candle was making sure your daughter was alright.”

“Clay!” The man immediately rushed over to his daughter and checked her face, “Oh, sweetheart, what did that thing do to you.”

Aloysius stood up, brushing himself off when something else fell from the ceiling. An old television set. Chrome froze. It sounded like it had been broken apart, and yet the television set looked unharmed. Chrome felt unnerved by the old TV. Most Televisions would bring him comfort, a sense of escape.

This one seemed dangerous and almost deadly.

Then it burst to life. Chrome jumped back, as did everyone else. At first, all there was, was a red and black static, then as the images sharpened, it showed the North Wind, except something was off.

The North Wind looked human.

Well, ALMOST human.

The North Wind had two empty eye sockets like an average human would, but a third one was located on its forehead. Another thing that was definitely wrong was that it seemed to be missing flesh on the right side of its face. The left side had flesh and even hair that had been slicked back. It brushed off its formal wear and tipped its tophat. 

As the wind spoke, its voice was no longer as terrifying as before. However, it still unnerved the group, “Hello there, little cockroaches, and welcome to the game that no one has ever won.”

The North Wind smiled smugly, “No one except me, of course.”

The eye growled, “Quit with the theatrics and just hurry up already! If we’re all going to die.”

The North Wind looked at the Eye and mimicked it in annoyance. The Eye muttered something about maturity. The North Wind tipped its hat and smiled again, even though half of its face was constantly smiling anyway.

“Let me remind you all of the terms and conditions,” The Wind wheezed, “There are none if you die. Well, boo-fucking-hoo, I get a small child to eat. 

The Wind held up a finger “However there are rules. Rule one, you must follow my instructions to the letter. Rule two, there are seven games. If you lose more than four, you lose the whole game. Are we clear? Good. Now, if you wouldn’t mind...”

A door-shaped hole appeared in the wall behind the television set. The Television set shut off, and the group was left in silence. They all looked at the door warily, but the Eye grumbled and walked forward. It disappeared into the dark abyss of the door. One by one, they all followed until Aloysius was all that was left.

He sighed, kicked the TV, and approached the door. As he took a step forward into the abyss, he felt something coil around his foot. He opened his mouth to scream as he was pulled in, but no sound came out.

Then Aloysius plummeted into the darkness.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aloysius landed on a cold black floor with a thud. He stood up quickly, ignoring the aching pain in his knees and arms. He looked around, and it seemed everyone was there. Aloysius sighed in relief and brushed himself off; he turned to look at the Eye. The Eye seemed nauseous. Aloysius didn’t realize why until he saw where they were.

They were in a room covered wall-to-wall with multiple television screens. Each one showed only static. There was a small chair in the center of the room, and a purple spotlight shone down on it.

Aloysius turned to Chrome and Lilith. Chrome had his eyes squeezed tight and was no longer trying his best to keep his weight off Lilith. He held her hand with a death grip. Aloysius could hear Lilith’s fingers popping from here, but she didn’t seem to care.

So this was the Signal Tower.

Suddenly, all the screens on the wall behind the chair morphed into a giant flat one. The massive television crackled, and there was the North Wind once again. The Eye’s nauseous expression turned into an angry one. It bared its teeth at the North Wind.

The Wind simply smiled.

“Welcome to the Signal Tower. Our first game will be a bit of a doozy! But, I always like watching you all squirm.”  
“Where is Alice,” Aloysius bellowed, “I demand to see her at once!”

The Wind stared at Aloysius and an arm sprout from the back of the North Wind. It ribbed the fabric of its suit, and apparently, the flesh on its back, blood sprouted out of the arm. The arm was red and bloody, twitching unnaturally. Off-screen, Alice screamed and sobbed at the same time.

Aloysius had never felt so helpless in his life.

“Quit it with the horse piss and tell us the game.”, snarled the Eye.

The North Wind’s eye socket cracked and twitched, “Fine. I’ve decided for the sake of irony and simplicity to base each game off of my seven FAVORITE sins.” The Wind smiled, “Which is all up to you.”

“Get on with it.” muttered Chrome, his voice trembling with anxiety.  
The North Wind clicked its tongue, “You people are so impatient. I love it!”

The North Wind moved aside, and there on a podium sat a little girl, the same size as Alice, maybe taller. She was tied up, gagged, and blindfolded. Clay screamed through her stitches, causing her to begin to cry again. The man looked terrified.

“Lorelai,” mumbled the man.  
“In this challenge,” The North Wind said with gusto, “You have to choose between letting this girl go free and taking the life of her father.” the Wind gestured to the man.

“Or vice versa.”

The man began to beg, “ME TAKE ME!”  
“My so eager,” hissed the Wind, “But that’s not up to you. You see, only two people can decide, Chrome or the good old Eye.”  
“Shit.” The Eye and Chrome swore simultaneously.  
“The rest of your group can help you decide, well, except for old Claeg there.”

Clay shook her head and sobbed louder. Aloysius and Lilith looked at each other. This was going to be ugly. Chrome refused to open his eyes, and the Eye looked at the seat.

The North Wind stared at them quietly, “Thirty seconds.”  
The Eye snapped its head, and Chrome’s eyes shot open, “WHAT?!”  
“Twenty-eight seconds.” The Wind said in a bored tone.

The Eye ran its hands through its hair. The man was hugging his oldest daughter and whispered something to her. Chrome looked ready to throw up. The man certainly looked innocent, and so did the girl. Neither of them wanted blood on their hands, especially the blood of a father.

Both the Eye and Chrome knew what it was like to have their father disappear.

Lilith spoke up, “I think the Eye should do it.”  
Chrome started at her, shocked and yet relieved. The Eye nodded sourly, “Yeah, that’s the best course of action.”

Aloysius knew there was something afoot here. He couldn’t figure it out. Even as the Eye walked over and reluctantly pulled the man away from Clay. The Eye took the man to the chair and sat him down.

“What’s your name?” the Eye asked.  
The man gulped and shut his eyes, “I don’t have a name. Make it quick.”  
“When I am forced to kill innocents”, the Eye said through gritted teeth, “I like to honor them by remembering their name. And even if I don’t know you, you seem like a good man.”  
The man nodded glumly, “My name is Joseph.”  
“I am sorry, Joseph.” the Eye said as its hands formed into large claws.

Clay ran towards Joseph, but Aloysius held her back. He hugged her tightly and tried calming her down. Chrome shut his eyes again. Lilith could only stare sadly.

Joseph formed a sad smile, “Tell my little one I love her.”  
“I will.” The Eye said with honesty.  
Joseph looked towards Clay, “I love you.”

And Clay’s muffled cream was all that was heard as the Eye shoved his claw into Joseph’s chest. Joseph coughed up blood on the Eye’s face. The Eye refused to look into his eyes. Then it slowly looked up.

And stared into the cold dead eyes of a father he had just killed.

The North Wind clapped slowly, the Eye turned to look up at the Wind. The North Wind stared down at the eye, the part of his face with the skin still on it smiled.

“I didn’t think you had the balls to do it.”, the North Wind said, his voice dripping with mockery.  
“You didn’t give me much of a choice.”  
“Actually I did, and you’d be saved a lot of pain if you had just…” The North Wind waved a hand, and Clay’s mouth no longer had stitches on it, “listened.

“SHE WAS ALREADY DEAD!”, cried Clay as her sob tore through the empty room.

The Eye whipped around to look at the little girl tied to a chair. Her gagged mouth formed a large, unnatural grin. The flesh blew away like dust and only left the dry bones of a child.

Aloysius felt sick. A familiar burning sensation ran up his throat, and Aloysius dry heaved onto the black floor. He heard Chrome suck in a shaky breath and collapse to the floor. Clay cried as she hugged the corpse of her father.

The Eye was pissed.

“YOU SAID YOU’D LET HER LIVE! HOW EXACTLY COULD A CORPSE LIVE?!” the Eye screamed.

The North Wind tapped its chin thoughtfully, “Looking back, I never said I would let her live,” the Wind leaned down until its jagged teeth were all that were visible, “I said I would let her GO. There is a difference.  
“Besides,” mocked the Wind, “It’s not my fault you wanted to play God and take matters into your own hands”

The Eye yelled in rage and ripped out a chunk of its hair. The North Wind raised an eyebrow and looked down at its watch. It waited until the Eye was done with its tantrum.

“Now that that’s over with,” the Wind said nonchalantly, “On to the next game!”  
“No,” the EYe pointed to the Wind, “Fuck you! Let us out now.”  
“Oh, of course. Let me just...”

The North Wind grabbed Alice off-screen. She screamed as he brought her close to its mouth and opened it wide. Its jaw unhinged, and its eyes began to bleed as Alice’s head entered its mouth.

“WAIT, WAIT WAIT!” the Eye said, panicked.

The North Wind took a now terrified and crying Alice out of its mouth.

“We’ll play the game.” The Eye said fearfully.  
“Good,” then the North Wind snapped, and the room faded to black.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room formed into the deep woods, and Lilith stood in front of a roaring fire. Lilith looked around frantically, no longer feeling Chrome leaning against her. She sighed in relief as she found him only a few feet away. He seemed entirely engrossed by a tiny trinket in his hands. Lilith swore she had seen it before.

All thought dissolved as she felt something cold and heavy appear in her hands.

An old beat-up music box.

No

It was HER old beat-up music box.

Lilith slowly cranked the lever, and her mind went fuzzy as the sweet melody of the music box played in the silent forest. She looked up slowly, painfully tearing her gaze from the music box. Around the fire, everyone had something in their hands.

Clay held a ticking pocket watch, her eye following the hands off the clock each time a second ticked by. Her eyes were dry, and she had a slight smile on her face.

Aloysius held a small, wooden duck. But he did not have the same look of joy or peace that Chrome, Lilith, or Clay had. His face only showed bitterness and regret. Aloysius grazed the black plastic bead of the Duck’s eye.

The Eye had the same look that Aloysius had, except it looked angrier. The item it held was an amulet of sorts. It was shaped like an eye. The Eye looked disgusted by the trinket, and yet the way it was gripping the amulet seemed as if the Eye would rather die than part with it.

Suddenly smoke billowed from the fire, and the North Wind appeared. Only as a grey and smokey apparition. The Wind looked at them all with a softness in its eyes.

“You all love those little trinkets don’t you?”

Lilith almost nodded

The Wind clicked his tongue and shook its head, “It’s a shame you have to burn them.”

They all recoiled at the statement. Lilith clutched her music box protectively. Almost everyone did the same, except for Aloysius, who seemed almost willing to do it.

“Now calm down,” purred the Wind, “You don’t have to burn them. In fact, you can all keep them. As long as one of you wants to keep your special trinket.”

Lilith felt relieved even if she could already feel the catch coming. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel happy. She and her music box had been reunited. After long last, the only happy memory of her childhood.

“But the catch: the Wind said, almost sounding regretful, “Is that if you all keep it, someone has to burn theirs. If it’s more than one person, you have to decide who loses their special trinket.”

Lilith already felt betrayed, even if no one had even thought about burning her music box. Her eyes darted around the fire, glancing at every single person around her.

“So it’s really a matter of who hates who the most.” The Wind said with a smile.

For a moment, nobody moved. The air was heavy with tension, Lilith’s mind wandered, she thought about who’s trinket she would burn if it were her. She wouldn’t, of course. She was only mulling it over. The North Wind glanced at all of them with a look of false sadness.

The silence was broken when a wooden duck was thrown into the fire. The North Wind whipped around to face Aloysius. Aloysius stared at the Duck as it slowly turned to blackened wood and ash.

“I have no use of ‘trinkets’, I have a new family,” Aloysius’ expression softened, “My past is dead, and while I may learn from it, clinging to it is useless.”

The North Wind stared at Aloysius curiously. There was silence once again. The North Wind scoffed, and then the fire roared once again. An eye-shaped amulet slowly melted in the fire. The Eye stared at it. If the Eye regretted its decision, it did not show it.

Then Chrome held his closed hand toward the fire. The North Wind whipped around to face him. IT’s solemn expression was shifting to one of anger.

“Come now, that’s the only memory left of your mother-”

Chrome stared the Wind dead in the eyes and let go. The necklace fell into the fire. Lilith looked down at her music box. She remembered what she had done to Chrome because of it. Because of her rage, Lilith had let Chrome fall and rot in a tower.

She threw her music box into the fire. Almost instantly, she felt better, almost free.

Now all that remained was Clay. She looked around at them with a panicked expression. She looked down at the pocket watch. Clay brushed her fingers over the glass of the clock.

“Claeg,” the North Wind said, desperation now visible in its eyes, “Come now. You would burn the only memory of your father, mother, AND sister? Would they have wanted that?”

Clay’s face hardened, and she looked at the wind, “They would’ve burned this in a heartbeat.”, she spat as she threw it into the fire. The North Wind stared at the flames.

Then its jaw unhinged, and it let out a scream of rage, the trees shook, and the fire went out. The scream sent shivers down all their spines as darkness consumed them all again.

They passed this game.

Five games left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	18. Fun and Games Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Play nicely, don't hurt yourselves._
> 
> _Or do_
> 
> _It doesn't matter to me_ :)

Chrome woke to a start. Pain shot through his abdomen as he tried to stand up quickly. His shirt felt damp again. No doubt he overexerted himself and caused the wound to begin to bleed again. Chrome looked around slowly, gripping the side of his body.

A shock ran through Chrome’s body as he realized where he was.

His old home. The house in which Chrome, no, Mono had grown up in. It looked exactly the same as well. Every piece of furniture, every little trinket in the cupboards. Down to the scratches on the wall and the peeling of the paint. Chrome looked around in wonder, picking up the family photo located on the fireplace’s mantle.

“Mono?”, Chrome froze, that voice...

He turned around and was face-to-face with his mother. Not as young as she used to be, there were grey streaks in her hair and wrinkles where there hadn’t been. Yet the smile and the twinkle in her eye were all the same. Chrome nearly choked.

“Mom?”  
His mother motioned outside while she grabbed his hand gently, “Come, dear, everyone’s waiting for you!”

Chrome followed her reluctantly. As Chrome stepped outside with his mother, he covered his eyes, blinded by the sudden brightness. Once his eyes stopped hurting, Chrome finally looked around. His surprise was immeasurable.

The world was sunny and bright. The botany around the woods surrounding their house was greener and more alive yet smaller. Making room for a few new homes that had never been there. Chrome looked around and could see no monsters or television sets, and the sky was no longer a sickly dark blue but seemed more vibrant.

Directly outside the house was a large picnic area with multiple benches. That had certainly never been there before. Chrome looked to see his companions, surprised. They all seemed happy.

Alice and another girl were playing with a laughing Aloysius. Aloysius looked like a completely different person. He had clean-cut hair and a neatly shaven beard. Aloysius no longer looked like he was melting anymore. He even had normal human eyes instead of black gaping holes. Aloysius looked surprised, but he still seemed incredibly happy.

On the bench, Clay sat looking bewildered as she spoke to her father, Joseph. Lorelai was sitting on his lap, and a woman Chrome didn’t recognize came up to Joseph and kissed him on the cheek.

Then Chrome met eyes with Lilith. Her smile was radiant, and she waved at him meekly. She seemed just as surprised as everyone else. Chrome couldn’t help but smile back. Suddenly two small children rammed into him. Chrome looked up quickly to see two boys giggling. They looked identical.

“Hi Dad!” they both said in unison.

Chrome felt his heart almost burst in joy. Did they call him “Dad”? These were his children? But who did he have them with? Chrome looked up at Lilith again. A little girl who Chrome didn’t see at first waved at him from behind Lilith.

They weren’t just his kids. They were Lilith’s too.

Chrome couldn’t contain his joy. He started laughing as he carried the two boys and spun in a circle with them. Chrome felt a strong hand fall on his shoulder. He turned around and was face-to-face with a man who looked to be in his late sixties.

“Careful son,” he said in a kind tone, “You might send them into orbit if you keep doing that!”

Chrome laughed again. His father was here too! He looked around to search for two more people who he missed. And he laid eyes on his eldest sister and his little brother. They seemed so grown up! They were both casually chatting under one of the great oaks near the house. His sister caught his eye and waved at him.

Chrome felt joy surge through his entire body. The world was finally perfect; there were no monsters, no death, no hardships. Even the North Wind was gone! Chrome couldn’t believe his eyes!

Eyes…

The Eye was gone.

Chrome’s smile immediately fell as he remembered his captor. He let down the twins gently and approached the large group of people. He tried grabbing Aloysius, Lilith, and Clay, but they were all reluctant. They gave in, however, and followed him to the edge of the woods.

“Chrome, what’s wrong?”, Lilith asked worriedly.  
“Yes, what is the matter? You seem awfully pale,” agreed Aloysius.  
Clay crossed her arms, “Why am I here? This seems more like an adult thing-”  
“The Eye’s gone.”

At first, the group looked at him, concerned and confused. Then they remembered what they were doing before this. Lilith clenched her fist, and Clay looked about, ready to cry. Aloysius, however, looked absolutely livid.

“I forget how the Wind likes its cruel little jokes.” Aloysius muttered in a low tone.  
Chrome turned towards the woods, “We figured it out, you piece of shit!” he spat.

The North Wind stepped out of the woods slowly. It raised its hands in surrender. The wind once again looked solemn and regretful.

“I do apologize,” it said sadly, “I thought you might’ve wanted a break.”  
“Where’s the Eye.” demanded Lilith.

The North Wind moved aside and revealed the Eye. It stood there, shoulders sagging, and head hung low. It’s eyes darted all over the ground as if it were contemplating something. Clay said nothing, but no one bothered to notice the look of satisfaction on her face.

“What did he do to you?”,  
“Nothing”, the Eye mumbled, “He just revealed something to me.”

The North Wind shook its head, “You see, as I was creating the next challenge, I came across something disturbing.” It gestured to the Eye, “The world went to shit because the Eye messed with time.”

The North Wind clicked its tongue disappointedly, “Time doesn’t like to be messed with.” it gestured to the world around them, “This was my vision for the world if the Eye had not trapped me.”

Chrome raised an eyebrow unconvinced, the Wind didn’t catch that, “Fair enough that was a lie. But this whole world could be yours.”

The statement made the group shift uncomfortably. What was the WInd proposing here?

“Well, I could reset the loop,” The Wind continued, “Make all of your lives perfect and section off a part of the planet strictly for all of this.”  
It gestured once again to the world around them, “But the Eye is in the way of that.”

“What are you suggesting.” Clay said.

The North Wind put its hands together, “One of you needs to kill the Eye, and then this fantasy can become a reality.”

They all stood there for a moment. Guilt swelled up in Chrome as he actually considered it. The Eye was his captor. Sure, had it hurt him? More than the Eye could ever know, but it was still redeemable, and Chrome thought of it as a sort of guardian or caretaker. It certainly didn’t deserve to die.

The Eye looked up and smiled meekly. “I don’t mind if you kill me, honestly”, its smile dropped, “I’d kill me too if it meant the world could go back to this.”

“And don’t worry,” The North Wind snapped its fingers, and an old musket landed in front of the group, “It’ll be quick.”

At first, they all stared at the weapon in silence. Gears were turning in their heads. The Eye grimaced as it let its head fall limp again. It closed its eyes, waiting for one of them to pick up the gun and pull the trigger.

“No.”, Chrome refused.

The Eye still did not look up. It did, however, allow a small smile to form on its face. Lilith looked at the Eye and wrapped her hand in Chrome’s. She refused as well. Despite the distaste she felt towards it, the Eye was not to blame. The North Wind grew more irritated.

Then, Aloysius picked up the gun. The eye heard a click as Aloysius loaded the weapon. It squeezed its eyes shut and braced itself. Perhaps death would be merciful to the Eye. It hadn’t seen Aziraphale in a while anyway.

“Al-” Lilith began  
“Let me do this, My Lady.” muttered Aloysius.

The North Wind smiled.

Aloysius aimed the gun.

Then he fired.

The Eye flinched and straightened up. It was indeed still alive, but there was blood all over it. Whose blood was it? The Eye turned to look at the Wind.

Half of the North Wind’s face was a bloody gash, the Wind had been pushed back by the force of the bullet, and the half of its face that still looked human was nothing but a gaping crater of bloody flesh. Then the tissue started to stitch itself back together. Once the flesh on its face had returned, the Eye stepped back.

The Wind frowned.

“How loyal,” muttered the Wind, “Well most of you, despite your best efforts, one of you was still willing to kill the Eye for paradise.” The Wind smiled again, “So you lose, again.”

Then the Wind snapped its fingers, and the sky turned red. The forest around them shriveled up and died as for the people who were around them. They were no longer people.

The “people” expanded and burst, releasing showers of blood and revealing the hulking, shadowy brutes hidden beneath them. Each one had only a glowing red orb that seemed to be their eyes. Each orb looked at the group with an immense look of hatred.

The group turned to run into the woods, but the monsters were quick. They swarmed them and piled on top of each of them. Chrome felt the heavy hot body’s pile on top of him and began to crush him like bees to a predator that invaded their hive. Chrome could no longer breathe.

Then darkness filled his eyes.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrome’s eyes wrenched open and shut even tighter as he let out a scream. The pain in his side increased almost ten-fold. His brain felt like it was beating his cranium like a drum. He was so tired. Then Chrome realized that his voice seemed a higher pitch. He felt a hand wrapped tightly around his as a weight began to pull him over the side of a cliff.

Chrome quickly gripped the stone bridge as tight as he could. He felt a nail wrench free from his index finger. He felt hot tears well up in his eyes as he opened an eye to see what was going on.

The Signal tower was collapsing around them as he dangled over the edge of a stone bridge. He looked down to see a familiar girl in a yellow raincoat, her wide brown eyes staring up at him.

“Mono?!”, she screamed confused.  
“Six?” he called back.

No, she was still Lilith, and he was still Chrome. They were both just younger and reliving a horrible, painful memory. Except this time, the roles were reversed. His body screamed at him to let her go, but he held on, even as something sharp dug into his foot.

“You know, you could let go.”

Mono refused to look up at the Wind keeping his eyes on Six, focusing on pulling her up. He was so damn tired. A large rock fell on his foot, and Mono let out another scream. This time tears were rolling down his cheeks.

“It’s only fair that you let her go,” The Wind said thoughtfully, “She already did it to you. Don’t you agree, Mr. Thin Man.

**I do agree, let her go you idiot.**

Mono felt himself flinch. The voice was back. He hadn’t heard it since he saved Lilith and brought her back to life. He felt a looming tall figure lean down and whisper in his ear.

**Just let her go, then the suffering will be over**   
_~~DON’T! WHATEVER YOU DO JUST KEEP HOLDING ON~~ _

Mono could barely hear the other voice. He gritted his teeth as the shadow of the Thin Man stepped on his hand. HE was so close, he could bring her up!

“Mono.”  
Mono looked down at Six. She wore a sad smile, “Please just let me go.”  
“No,” he said hoarsely, “No, I’m so close. I can lift you up-”  
“Chrome-”  
“SHUT UP!” Mono screamed, “I CAN BRING YOU UP!”

Mono pulled with all his might, but his arms felt like lead, and he felt blood begin to pool on the concrete. The North Wind snickered. Mono wouldn’t give up. He was a stubborn ass, goddammit, and he WOULD pull Six up!

Then Mono felt a panic surge through him as Six scratched his arm.

“SIX, LILITH, DON’T!”  
“LET ME GO!” she screamed as tears rolled down her face, “YOU’RE HURTING YOURSELF! I DESERVE THIS! JUST LET ME GO!”

Mono felt jagged teeth bite into his hand. Still, he ignored it, he ignored the searing pain in his side, he ignored the foot that was undoubtedly broken. He ignored the increasing pressure the Thin Man put on his left hand. And as he heard the concrete behind him begin to crack, he knew what he had to do.

Mono inhaled shakily and pulled with all his might. It felt as if Six was weightless, and she flew over his head and landed near the glowing Television. Six whipped around to look at Mono, her eyes wide with fear. Mono smiled at her softly.

Then the bridge beneath him crumbled.

The world moved in slow motion as Six screamed his name and lunged towards him in an attempt to grab his hand. She missed, but Mono smiled up at her. And as he plummeted into the abyss, he kept his simple and closed his eyes.

At the very least, he had saved her.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrome awoke to a start in a very comfortable velvet chair. Aloysius sat in a chair, patting the sweat off his forehead and sighing in relief. The room they were in was painted a dark red, and a large flatscreen television was mounted in front of him.

“What the hell happened,” he mumbled.  
Chrome promptly felt Lilith ram into him at full force knocking the chair over. 

Chrome opened his mouth to say something but Lilith kissed him before he could do or say anything. The kiss was full of longing and sadness. Lilith had tears rolling down her face as she placed her hands firmly on Chrome’s chest. Chrome kissed back, wrapping his cold hands around her neck, causing her to shiver. She pulled away from the kiss and placed her forehead against his gently.

“I thought you died.” she sobbed.

Chrome said nothing as he held her hand. He didn’t regret doing what he did not for a second, and yet he felt guilt well up inside him for making Lilith cry. He murmured comforting words to her as she cried.

“As much as I hate to interrupt such a beautiful reunion”, said Aloysius gently, “The next game is beginning.”

Both Chrome and Lilith got up from the floor. Their hands remained interlocked. They both stared at the flatscreen TV. It seemed the Wind had grown tired of group decisions. Only Clay and the Eye were visible there. On the edge of a cliff.

Then the North Wind appeared. Wearing its signature manic grin and tipping its hat to the two. The North Wind gestured towards the edge of the cliff. There it showed Clay the islands that the Wind had burned down.

“I know you are weak,” it said, “And you don’t want to be weak. You lust for power to defend those you love and to protect the innocent.”

It tapped her forehead, and a dark aura surrounded her. The stone of the cliff shivered and seemed to contort around her.

“I have given you a special gift.” The North Wind said with a smile, “And you can keep this gift as long as you do one simple task.”

The North Wind looked at the Eye, “All you have to do is kill the Eye or-”

The Eye started to speak, “Clay, he’s lying to you-”

Aloysius, Lilith, and Chrome could only watch in horror as Clay did not hesitate to impale each tattoo on the Eye’s body. He twitched and quivered as blood ran down the stone spikes. The North Wind looked shocked and yet pleased. Then the Eye stopped moving.

The score is three to two.

In the North Wind’s favor.

I guess nothing will change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _It's been a nice journey I suppose._   
>  **Then again we've relived this countless times.**
> 
> It's not really a journey anymore now, is it?


End file.
